Calendar Girls (play)

Calendar Girls is a stage play based on the 2003 film of the same name.

This article is about the play. For the 2003 film on which it is based, see Calendar Girls. For the musical, see Calendar Girls (musical). For other uses, see Calendar Girls (disambiguation).

Production history

The play was adapted by Tim Firth and directed by Hamish McColl.

After a successful try-out at the Chichester Festival Theatre in September 2008 and a lengthy national tour,[1] a stage adaptation of the film started previewing on 4 April 2009 at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, opening on 20 April. The original cast included Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Siân Phillips, Gaynor Faye, Brigit Forsyth, Julia Hills and Elaine C. Smith.

While the play was a financial success (it took in over £1.7 million in advance ticket sales), the critical reception was mixed.[2]

The play closed at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on 9 January 2010[3] before embarking on a second national tour which began on 27 January 2010.[4] The show had several different casts to keep it fresh and to also allow producers to bring well known actresses into the play who did not want to commit to long runs. The second national tour finished in December 2012.

Toronto's Mirvish Productions announced in February 2010 that a Canadian production of the play would open in Toronto in April 2011,[5] with the North American premiere actually taking place at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg in March 2011.[6] In Australia the play was toured throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia in 45 venues during 2014.

In September 2016, Tim Firth and Gary Barlow announced The Girls, a new musical based on both the play and the film, was to open at the Phoenix Theatre in January 2017.[7]

Cast and characters
Character Original Touring and West End
Chris Lynda Bellingham
Annie Patricia Hodge
Jessie Sian Phillips
Celia Gaynor Faye
Marie Brigit Forsyth
Ruth Julia Hills
Cora Elaine C. Smith
Lady Cravenshire/Brenda Hulse Joan Blackham
Elaine Abby Francis
Lawrence/Liam Carl Prekopp
Rod Gerard McDermott
John Gary Lilburn

Notable Replacements

Amateur Productions

The amateur rights were released from 1 September 2012 for 18 months only. By August 2012, 520 applications had been received and 322 licences granted.[8]

Bermuda

On April 11, 2013, The Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society opened their amateur production of "Calendar Girls" at the Earl Cameron Theater in Hamilton, Bermuda. In addition to the stage play, the group also produced a calendar featuring the cast, producer and director in similar poses. Thanks to the sponsorship of local businesses, all the calendar proceeds were donated to Bermuda charities.[9]

Geneva, Switzerland

The Geneva English Drama Society (GEDS) produced "Calendar Girls" from 18 to 22 June, 2013 at the Théâtre Pitoëff in Geneva. A special charity performance attended by Angela Baker (Miss February in the original calendar) and sales of a calendar enabled a donation of CHF 6,000 to each of the Fondation Dr Henri Dubois-Ferrière Dinu Lipatti and the Fondation Artères, local charities targeting leukaemia and lymphoma.

References
  1. "Listing and review of Calendar Girls". The Stage Media Company website. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  2. Michael Billington (26 April 2009). "Theater review: Calendar Girls". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  3. Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited. "Delfont Mackintosh Theatres - Site - The Page You Are Looking For Is Not Available". Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. Archived from the original on 2011-04-14. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  4. "See Calendar Girls".
  5. Mirvish Productions website accessed 2010-02-22
  6. "Manitoba Theatre Centre website". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  7. Best of Theatre. "THE GIRLS to open at the Phoenix Theatre in January 2017". Best of Theatre.
  8. Youde, Kate; Dicketts, Amy (5 August 2012). "Oh! The bare-faced cheek of it: Release of amateur rights to stage 'Calendar Girls' sparks record". The Independent. London.
  9. "Bermuda Sun review - BMDS production of Calendar Girls".
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