The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has been blessed with playing host to some of the finest touring plays this autumn. The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Bouncers, Haunting Julia and now Calendar Girls have all been at the top of their game and proven to be definite crowd pleasers.
Since the transition from screen to stage in 2008 this isn't the first time Calendar Girls has been to Wolverhampton, or the second... It's a firm favourite with the locals and it's easy to see why. A group of WI women from the Dales decide to make a naked (sorry, nude) charity calendar to fund a new settee for the family room on a cancer ward after one of the ladies loses her husband to the "shitty, cheating, sly, conniving bloody disease that cancer is".
Lesley Joseph leads the star-studded cast as Chris, the strong willed driving force behind the calendar. She incorporates her famous humour and dry comedic style but without loosing the heart and passion of the story. Alongside her are Kacey Ainsworth (Ruth), Helen Fraser (Jessie), Sue Holderness (Annie), Deena Payne (Cora), Kathryn Rooney (Celia) and Ruth Madoc (Marie). Each of the ladies bring reality and depth to their characters all of whom work in harmony to create the perfect cast.
Hollyoaks star Kevin Sacre and his wife Camilla Dallerup of Strictly Come Dancing fame are wonderful additions to the cast as Lawrence the photographer and Elaine the makeup artist. Kevin Sacre is charmingly like a nervous school boy as he runs around organising the ladies for the shoot. Camilla Dallerup is hilarious in the short time that she is on stage and perfectly patronising.
The set by Robert Jones is simple yet stunning. A community hall framed by backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales. The floor lifts to create a hill, and the end image it creates is a pleasant and heartwarming surprise.
Kevin Sacre, Camilla Dallerup and Lesley Joseph
Calendar Girls is for everyone, it's tastefully done and oozes charm and warmth. A show with real heart. There isn't much that actually makes me laugh out loud and Calendar Girls is one of the rare few. Nearing the end of the tour for the current cast you can see the show at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 17th November. You can book tickets via the theatre website:
http://grandtheatre.info/WhatsOn_focus.asp?ShowId=608&sC=page10 or call the box office on 01902 42 92 12.
Calendar Girls Website: http://www.seecalendargirls.com
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