CALENDAR GIRLS Heads To Storyhouse Next Week

Calendar Girls The Musical comes to Storyhouse in Chester next week for its final tour dates in the North of England.

After its run of eight performances in Chester, there are only two venues left of its current tour which are in the South of England. There are no more tour dates planned at this time.

Calendar Girls The Musical comes to Storyhouse from Tuesday 29 October to Saturday 2 November 2019 for eight performances, including three matinees. Tickets are on sale.

The story behind firstly the film and now the stage production, was inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who create a Women's Institute (WI) calendar to raise funds in memory of one of their husbands - but the story has a fun twist.

David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers have toured the production across the UK and Ireland. The musical comedy is based on the true story, film and award-winning play by Tim Firth. The tour sees Gary Barlow and Tim Firth take this heartwarming story from screen to stage.

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth grew up in the same Cheshire village and have been friends since childhood. With Take That, Gary has written and co-written 14 Number One singles, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner. Tim has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.

Having already seen Tim's film and stage play versions of Calendar Girls, by the time Gary came on board to compose the score for the musical he had already subconsciously started the soundtrack in his head.

Gary Barlow explained: "I heard it straight away. When we started working, Tim would give me a couple of pages of lyrics and then I'd come back with mini albums of songs. He would then, very cleverly, take a verse from one song and put it with the chorus of another. I'd get them back as structures and then maybe write new pieces. He gave me the freedom to be me. The bravery of these women in the face of adversity is at the heart of it all. That's the charm and it's what people relate to."

The line-up is a different cast who previously appeared earlier in the tour in Liverpool and Manchester.

The cast features Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm, Sarah Jane Buckley, Sue Devaney, Julia Hills, Judy Holt, and Lisa Maxwell.

They are joined by Claudia Bradley as Miss Wilson; Phil Corbitt as John; Ian Mercer as Rod; Sebastian Abineri as Colin; Derek Elroy as Lawrence; Ellie Leah as Miss Wilson; Danny Howker as Danny; Isabel Caswell as Jenny; and Tyler Dobbs as Tommo.

Flying the flag for the North West talent, are Liverpool's very own Pauline Daniels as Lady Cravenshire, and Alan Stocks as Denis.

Ruth Madoc will play Jessie (Hi-De-Hi, Little Britain, Bendorm, Doctors, Stella), with Rebecca Storm as Chris (Evita, Les Miserables, Chess, Aspects Of Love, Blood Brothers). Sarah Jane Buckley plays Annie (Blood Brothers, Hollyoaks); Sue Devaney plays Cora (Years and Years, Dinnerladies, Casualty, Coronation Street, Mamma Mia! musical); Julia Hills plays Ruth (Broadchurch, The Archers); Judy Holt plays Marie (Cold Feet, Scott & Bailey); and Lisa Maxwell plays Celia (Loose Women panellist, Hollyoaks, The Bill, The Les Dennis Laughter Show, The Russ Abbot Show).

The critically acclaimed and award-winning production played a six-month London season at The Phoenix Theatre in 2017, after playing sold-out seasons in Leeds and Manchester.

The twist about the calendar is that the women appear nude in the pictures. The women want to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital. The show highlights life in their Yorkshire village, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, but most of all how a group of ordinary women achieved something extraordinary - which was first highlighted in the smash hit film Calendar Girls.

The real-life Calendar Girls have raised almost £5million for Bloodwise, the UK's specialist blood cancer charity. Bloodwise will continue to receive monies from this production.

Calendar Girls The Musical is directed by Matt Ryan and designed by Robert Jones, with comedy staging by Jos Houben, movement by Lucy Hind and casting by Sarah Bird.

Tickets for Calendar Girls The Musical are on sale now priced from £22.50. Each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee. Group rates are available Tuesday to Thursday.

Storyhouse has a dynamic pricing policy on the majority of shows, ensuring the earlier you book your tickets, guarantees the best seats at the lowest price.

www.calendargirlsthemusical.com