Calendar Girls The Musical Come To Norwich Theatre Royal!
I last saw Calendar Girls the Musical in London when I was pregnant with Raffie although I’m sure it was called simply ‘The Girls‘ back then. I got a bit confused wondering if it was going to be the same script, music and have quite the same magic or if perhaps it was an entirely different production altogether but I have since come to the conclusion that I either got the name wrong the first time around (although it was written on the theatre billboard as such) or they must have changed it. I checked and double checked and everything looked in place letting me do a great big dramatic PHEW with my hand across my forehead because I wouldn’t want to see this show with any other music after hearing how brilliant it was the last time around. The Gary Barlow and Tim Firth score is simply staggering and fits so beautifully well with the story line it’s like a jigsaw being pieced together by an expert puzzler. So with music worries over I was just looking forward all last week to seeing the show again at Norwich Theatre Royal for their opening night of what will be a 12 day run from 5th to 16th of February.
So I knew the music and trusted it was going to be just as pleasing to the ear this time around but what about the cast having seen such an outstanding company the last time around? I looked up the line up and knew I didn’t have to worry, I could instantly see there’d be no one letting the side down what with Denise Welch (surprisingly brilliant in musical theatre always it has to be said – she’s not much of a singer yet she still manages to be outstanding… How I’m not sure but she does) and Fern Britton playing alongside the likes of Ruth Madoc. Sadly… VERY sadly as I have been a massive fan since she was in Hi-de-Hi (always loved that I had the same name as her) poor Ruth has had to pull out due to breaking her hip – Owchy! Another Ruth, in the cast this time, is played by Sara Crowe who played the first bride Laura in Four Weddings and she is utterly fantastic in her role as a downtrodden wife in Calendar Girls! Well wishes to Ruth Madoc of course but the rest of the cast, did her proud and my word what a show! I knew they’d be good but I hadn’t banked on them being better than the cast I’d seen in London who were also VERY accomplished in their roles! Still, goes to show doesn’t it…
I love seeing theatre on tour after seeing it in the west end as it’s always very interesting to compare. Traditionally I think the view is that a tour is the poor relation but I think that’s not always necessarily true. Yes there are often budget issues that can make staging less appealing or jaw dropping but with a show like this very often I find the tour finds a more relaxed equilibrium and can often take over where the west end stint left it behind very nicely thank you. So when I saw ‘The Girls’ in the west end they were trying desperately to get the show signed on for a longer run and that might just be the pressure a tour doesn’t have leaving it open to being the front runner in the end. It certainly felt very accomplished in Norwich for opening night and we had another fab look at this show which offers laughs and tears in equal measure as well as telling a very poignant story!
If you’re not familiar with the inspiration behind which first became a movie starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren before landing music in the theatre then this is the story of a group of Women’s Institute friends who, after main character Annie Clarke loses her husband to Leukaemia. band together to raise money to buy a sofa for relatives in their local hospital. Their plan to pose nude for a calendar using typical Women’s Institute settings for a very non Women’s institute idea saw them far surpass their money raising expectations and gain world wide fame for their antics. It’s a story of heartbreak, friendship, triumph and ultimately love and still to this day their story, including money raised from the musical, is fund raising for Bloodwise, the charity beating blood cancer since 1960.
A brilliant story portrayed in the most beautiful way and of course let’s not forget the music. Go and see this one while it’s in Norwich, you won’t regret it and please, do dig deep when the buckets come around at the end. Such a worthy cause!
Calendar Girls The Musical is on at Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday the 5th of February to Saturday the 16th of February with evening performances daily (aside from Sunday the 10th and Monday the 11th of February) at 7.30pm and matinee performances at 2.30pm on Wednesday the 6th, Thursday the 7th, Saturday the 9th, Wednesday the 13th, Thursday the 14th and Saturday the 16th of February. Visit the Norwich Theatre Royal website for more information and call 01603 630000 for the box office.
We were invited to see the show as guests of the theatre.
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