26 – 30 September

Another week, another popular film reincarnated on stage. Whereas last week, it was the men who stripped off in “The Full Monty”, this week it was the turn of the ladies to disrobe as Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s musical version of the popular 2003 film “Calendar Girls” arrived at the Everyman. But these two productions could not have been more different….

It is a familiar and much-loved story: members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women’s Institute, inspired by the untimely loss of one of their husbands due to cancer, decide to pose nude for a charity calendar to raise funds for their local hospital. In doing so, they must first overcome their own challenges, inhibitions, doubts and personal demons. The fact that this is a true story makes their tale even more poignant, and their unexpected and enormous success even more deserving. It is a heartwarming true-life tale which touches on serious and important themes, but does so with warmth and humour.

There are some obvious questions with any such adaptations: what does a musical version add to our understanding or appreciation of the original tale? Does the addition of musical numbers provide a fresh and interesting twist, or are we simply lacking the imagination to produce new musicals without piggybacking on proven cinematic successes? Just because we can produce a musical version of a film, especially such a popular and commercially successful one as “Calendar Girls”, does it mean we should…? Are we simply exploiting some of our best-loved homegrown stories, but at the risk of bleeding them dry?

Let us start with the positives. This was a stellar ensemble cast of leading ladies, with a wealth of highly-acclaimed television and stage credits to their collective names. Amy Robbins for example, puts in an energetic shift as Chris, the driving force behind the calendar; Tanya Franks also does well as Annie, the grieving widow. The script has some genuinely funny lines and set pieces, as does the film. Technically, the staging simply and effectively conjures up the community hall, scene of the regular meetings of the WI’s Knapely branch, as well as the waiting room of Skipton General Hospital, complete with its uncomfortable settee. Furthermore, there are some strong individual singing performances, especially from the impressive Lyn Paul as Jessie, who explores her own anxieties as an older woman faced with undressing for such a noble and worthy cause. The show touches on important themes of alcoholism, body image and grief, but does so without coming across as insincere or formulaic. Lastly though, and perhaps most importantly, the show continues to raise awareness of, and funds for, the charity Blood Cancer UK. More than £6 million has been raised by the original calendar girls, and bucket collections on the door will only increase this further.

However, my high hopes for this show were dashed by a disappointing and largely forgettable musical score. The songs frequently feel awkward and cumbersome, despite the considerable vocal talents of the cast who are forced to battle through some difficult rhythms and challenging vocal ranges. As such, the musical numbers are rather shrill at times, and serve to disconnect, rather than engage and excite, the audience. The ending also feels very anti-climactic, to the point where even the curtain-call is mistaken for an additional scene. And where were the calendar photos – surely the whole raison d’être for the story in the first place?

The naked truth is; this feels very much like a show which fails to add up to the sum of its considerable parts.

Photo credit: Alex Harvey-Brown