Published at 11:05, Thursday, 06 September 2012

IT’S inspiring, moving, funny – and just a little bit cheeky – all at the same time, Calendar Girls has something to appeal to all theatre-goers at Whitehaven Civic Hall this week.

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It’s an ambitious project for sure but, on the evidence of Monday’s opening night, this joint effort from Whitehaven Theatre Group and Copeland Amateur Theatrical Society is more than up to the task.

The story is, of course, based on the smash hit 2003 comedy, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

Fed up with the less-than-spectacular sums raised by their annual calendars depicting local bridges and graveyards, the ladies of Knapeley Women’s Institute decide to do something a little different.

Inspired by the death of a member’s husband to cancer, they decide to bare all for a nude calendar to raise funds for the hospital in his memory.

The calendar is a run-away success, but the fame – and conflict – this brings takes all the women by surprise.

So let’s get this out of the way first – the nudity! The naked calendar photoshoot scene is creatively, and tastefully, done and the ladies deserve enormous credit for having the bottle – and confidence in the props department – to bear all.

Credit must also go to the director, Carol Corless, for the imaginitive ways the ladies’ modesty is maintained with perfectly placed tea cups, flower displays and Bakewell tarts!

The photoshoot is the last scene in the first half, and is the funniest in the show. But laughs are to be had all the way through.

The best are reserved for Elizabeth Simpson, as Jessie, who despite being the more senior citizen of the group, has the naughtiest sense of humour.

Along with the laughs, we get the tears. The moment where Annie (Gillian Rothery) loses her husband John (Tony Parker) is beautifully done, as is the scene where the ladies realise the impact of their calendar when they receive letters from other families that have been touched by cancer.

Character-wise, all of the ladies bring fine performances to the show.

Gillian, as Annie (the Julie Walters role), portrays a quiet dignity as a bereaved wife, determined to do her husband’s memory proud.

While in contrast, Anne Simpson’s Chris gets caught up in all the trappings of fame, losing sight of the original goal, before ultimately realising the error of her ways. She is consitently convincing as her character evolves.

And the other ladies have equally strong roles. Cora (Jacqui Quinn), Celia (Lisa Stockdale) and Ruth (Lisa Morris) each bring their own convincing backstory, of cheating husbands and estranged daughters, providing their own individual motivation for the risqué calendar.

The show is a resounding success, and with the proceeds being donated to Cancer Research, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Go and see it – it would be rude not to!

The play runs until Saturday and begins at 7pm. Tickets are available from Whitehaven Civic Hall and cost £7.50 for adults and £6.50 for concessions.

Andrew Clarke

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk