Calendar Girls

For everyone who’s been living under a rock, Calendar Girls is based on the true story of how a bunch of middle-aged women from a typical country women’s institute in rural England - dared to bare all for their 1999 fundraising calendar. The play is based on the hugely successful 2003 film of the same name. 

However, in scriptwriter Tim Firth’s *own words: “While the starting point is the calendar, if it were just a story about a load of women who take their clothes off and stand mysteriously behind fruit loaves, then it would be a very limited film. The story isn’t about that, it’s about coping with grief and loss and also coping with unexpected celebrity.”

Indeed, the result is a searingly intimate portrayal of the multi-faceted women behind creation of the calendar, as well as their crazy journey. This play is still surprisingly relevant today. Women’s vulnerability regarding their body image and the vital importance of female friendships are themes as universal as ever.

Director Josh Maxwell assembled an absolute dream team to play the eponymous Calendar Girls. Astute casting is obviously an important component of any production, but with Maxwell’s bright, unfussy set (alluding to the play’s bucolic setting more so than using literal set pieces) places all focus on each individual performance conjured by this outstanding leading ensemble. Each actress inhabits their characters perfectly - traversing the delicate balance between laugh-out-loud comedic moments and heart-rending emotional connection; with their characters and to each other. Rather than singling anyone out, it’s more fitting to name them all: Ruth Jordon, Anna Carter, Debbi Clarke, Kathryn Peterson, Helen Herridge and Karen Pendleton are all to be equally congratulated.

Special mention also to supporting players Stephanie Burton and Donna Cromer who do really well to elevate what might otherwise be seen as cliché, ’straight-laced’ characters. 

Supporting blokes Peter Pendleton, Martin Dunn, Scott Russell and Cameron Oxley, all acquit themselves well with measured, fleshed out characterisations and finally, Isabella O’Brien brings subtle poise to her pivotal (last minute) cameo role. 

All in all, this production is a credit to the script. With a couple of weeks left to run, you won't find any spoilers here. Hard to believe it's a true story.

This fact prompted me to research whatever original footage I could find on YouTube, which uncovered a charming documentary commemorating the 10th anniversary of the release of the original calendar (and the West End debut of the play). It’s from this doco that I obtained the above and following quotes.

Apparently, the original calendar girls were a bit worried about a fictional part of the script depicting a special speaker being brought in to the Women’s Institute to give a talk on broccoli. 

“No-one will believe that,” they said. 

After a while, one of them added, “Mind you, there was that bloke who came to talk to us about the history of the tea towel.”

A delighted Firth said, “That stupid tea towel line was better than what I’d put in the script!”

The most amazing part of the story - that humble little calendar ultimately raised one million pounds sterling for Leukaemia Research. 

*NB: Quotes are paraphrased from the documentary.

Rose Cooper