(Back LtoR) Fern Britton, Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm, Gary Barlow and Denise Welch (Front) Anna-Jane Casey and Tim Firth. Picture: Matt Crockett
Footage has been released of the new cast of The Calendar Girls on a trip to the Yorkshire Dales to meet the women who inspired the hit show as part of their preparations for the upcoming UK and Ireland tour.
Already breaking box office records, the new production of the award-winning musical is due to open at the place where the show began its original journey, the Leeds Grand Theatre on 16 August 2018.
The cast of the production which is set to visit nearly every major theatre in the British Isles headed to the beautiful village of Burnsall, the home of the ladies who disrobed in the name of charity and whose story spawned a much-loved stage play, hit film and the musical.
As previously announced, TV presenter and novelist Fern Britton will return to the stage for the first time in 30 years to play Marie, with Anna-Jane Casey (Billy Elliot on tour, Stepping Out in London’s West End, title role in Annie Get Your Gun at Sheffield Crucible) as Annie.
The all star cast will also feature Sara Crowe (West End roles include Bedroom Farce, Hay Fever) as Ruth, Karen Dunbar (BBC1 Scotland’s sketch shows The Karen Dunbar Show, The Guid Sisters for the National Theatre of Scotland) as Cora, Ruth Madoc (Hi-De-Hi, Little Britain and Gypsy) as Jessie, Rebecca Storm (discovered by Willy Russell and cast as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers) as Chris and former Coronation Street and Loose Women favourite Denise Welch (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice) as Celia.
Also joining the cast will be Phil Corbitt as John, Ian Mercer as Rod, Sebastian Aberneri as Colin, Alan Stocks as Denis, Pauline Daniels as Lady Cravenshire, Ellie Leah as Miss Wilson, Catherine Digges as Miss Wilson, Danny Howker as Danny and Tyler Dobbs as Tommo.
Created by Gary Barlow and his childhood friend Tim Firth, the writer of the original award-winning stage and film productions of The Calendar Girls, the award-winning musical version of the inspirational story of the Rylstone Women’s Institute members’ headline-grabbing fundraiser premiered at the Leeds Grand in 2015.
Produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, the production which continues to support the specialist blood charity Bloodwise, is directed by Matt Ryan and designed by Robert Jones. Lighting is by Oliver Fenwick with comedy staging by Jos Houben, movement by Lucy Hind and casting by Sarah Bird.
The 2018/2019 tour is due to visit Canterbury, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Leicester, Llandudno, Salford, Stoke, Hull, Liverpool, Southampton, Dublin, Norwich, Aberdeen, Dartford, Sunderland, Woking, Sheffield and Oxford.
Angela Thomas
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