(clockwise) Gary Barlow, Tim Firth, Karen West, Vivien Parry, Harriet Thorpe, Shirley Jameson, Claire Moore, Sara Kestelman, Debbie Chazen, Claire Machin and Joanna Riding in The Girls, premiering at the Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: John Swannell
Full details of the cast of The Girls, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s much anticipated musical version of The Calendar Girls’ story have been announced.
Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sara Kestelman as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris, Vivien Parry as Celia, Joanna Riding as Annie and Harriet Thorpe as Marie (together with Shirley Jameson and Karen West) will play the ladies from the Rylstone Women’s Institute who disrobed in the name of charity and whose story has already spawned a much-loved stage play and hit film.
Debbie Chazen played Ethel Kingsley in Mike Leigh’s film Topsy-Turvy. Sara Kestelman won an Olivier Award for her performance as Fraulein Schneider in Sam Mendes’ Cabaret at the Donmar and has appeared extensively with the RSC, including playing Titania in Peter Brook’s landmark production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Claire Machin’s credits include My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Betty Blue Eyes and Memphis. Claire Moore originated the role of Ellen in Miss Saigon. Her other credits include Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Fantine and Madame Thenardier in Les Misérables and the National Theatre’s award-winning London Road.
Vivien Parry’s credits include Madge in the original cast of Top Hat, Donna in Mamma Mia! and Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers. Joanna Riding won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice for her roles as Julie in Carousel at the National Theatre and as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Harriet Thorpe’s recent theatre credits include Great Britain, Wicked and Mamma Mia!
Gary Barlow and Tim Firth grew up in the same village in the north of England and have been friends for 25 years. With Take That, Barlow 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. Firth has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.
The new show is being produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers and The Shubert Organisation and will premiere at the Leeds Grand Theatre from 14 November until 12 December. Firth will also take on directing duties alongside Roger Haines with comedy staging by Jos Houben, design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster, musical direction and orchestrations by Richard Beadle.
Other cast members already confirmed are Stephen Boswell (Top Hat in the West End) as Colin, Joe Caffrey (The Pitmen Painters for the National Theatre, and played the Father in Billy Elliot) as Rod, Jeremy Clyde (The Alan Clark Diaries, The Iron Lady) as Denis, Susan Fay as Brenda, Steve Giles as Lawrence, Richard Huw (Line of Duty) as John and Judith Street as Lady Cravenshire.
The show will also introduce teenage actors Josh Benson as Tommo, Ben Hunter as Danny and Chloe May Jackson as Jenny, who were handpicked from hundreds of other young hopefuls following open auditions in the summer.
Angela Thomas
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