CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL to Feature Seven Local Young Actors at Stephen Joseph Theatre

Seven young actors from the Scarborough area will gain the experience of working in a professional theatre when they join the cast of Calendar Girls the Musical at the town's Stephen Joseph Theatre this summer.

They are current SJT Young Company members Robyn Chambers and Jack Pickering, and Youth Theatre member Arabella Carey, all from Scarborough; Young Company members Will Ireland, from Bridlington, and Keane Liley and Charlie Wright, from Eastfield; and former Young Company member Annie Dunbar, from Malton.  They are all aged between 16 and 19.

Between them, the seven will play Danny, Jenny and Tommo, the teenage children of three of the Calendar Girls. They will appear in the show while it's in Scarborough from 27 June to 25 July in two alternating teams, each team performing for several shows in a row.

The young actors are led by Community Cast Director and former SJT Associate Director Chantell Walker, who says: “They are all aspiring actors, some planning on heading to drama school, so being part of a professional production is an invaluable experience for them.

“These are brilliant roles and really bring a fun and authentic feel to the show, so it was important that we cast these young actors carefully.

“I'm so looking forward to working with these young actors. They're all either from Scarborough or very local. It's important that the SJT is connecting to the town's young people and supporting them on their journey as aspiring actors.” 

The much-loved show about a group of Yorkshire women who create a fabulous fundraising calendar after the death of one of their husbands is by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth. It will be directed by the SJT's Artistic Director, Paul Robinson, who says: “"I am absolutely thrilled to see local young talent joining the cast of Calendar Girls the Musical. Their energy is the perfect counterpoint to this heartwarming story, bringing a fresh, vibrant, and authentic Yorkshire grit that makes the whole production sing. It's a wonderful blending of generations that truly captures the themes of the show and the spirit of community!"

The show is a co-production with Keswick's Theatre by the Lake, the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and the Octagon Theatre Bolton and will play at those theatres after opening in Scarborough. Each theatre is providing their own cast of young actors.