Ian Cheeseman reports on Mossley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s accomplished and warmly received staging of Calendar Girls.
Calendar Girls, written by Tim Firth and Take That’s Gary Barlow, is a musical that explores femininity, ageing, grief and friendship, ending on a feelgood high.
In this era of jukebox musicals, of which I am a fan, this one stands out, based as it is on a true story told with depth and sincerity. In the wrong hands it could have been a disappointment, but MAODS delivered a masterpiece.
It was not overly sentimental or maudlin, though there were moments when I truly felt the pain of Annie, played by the brilliant Samantha Hughes, as she faced the trauma of losing her husband John, portrayed with great sensitivity by John Wood.
The first half of the show takes us on a rollercoaster of life, perfectly paced by director Jo Weetman, as the joy of Annie and John’s life together slowly ebbs away while he succumbs to cancer. By the end of the first act, supported by her best friend Chris, played with real depth and feeling by Sarah Thewlis, the idea is hatched to create a tasteful nude calendar featuring their friends from the Women’s Institute.
There was plenty of humour within the group of older female friends, particularly during their meetings. I have given many talks at WIs about my life and career, though never before they have sung Jerusalem, of course. I could easily relate to their scepticism about an upcoming speaker. Thankfully, I have always had a great reaction to my ramblings.
The second act charts the ladies’ reluctance to pose in front of wildlife photographer Lawrence, played brilliantly by Daniel Booth. Every one of the Calendar Girls was perfectly portrayed by Joella Andrew, Jo Bell, Rachel Roberts, Samantha Hughes and Sarah Thewlis, but special mention must go to late understudy Shirley Harrison, who stepped in as Jessie due to Elaine Thomson’s illness. Shirley did Elaine proud, and her performance of What Age Expects carried all the depth the music and lyrics demand.
Naturally centre stage at the bows were the Girls, but it would be remiss not to acknowledge the supporting performances of Charlie Boardman, River Connell and George Devlin as the younger generation, along with Sara Barton, Paul Ryan and John Weetman, who may have had smaller roles but added important nuance to the show.
The truth is that this was a perfectly blended ensemble performance by the multi award winning Mossley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. Their brilliant Musical Director, Paul Firth, previously won a NODA award for Sister Act, a show named Best Musical, as I predicted.
The Society regularly picks up gongs and even boasts the young star of their recent production of Annie, Sylvie Hoyle, who will join the professional tour of Matilda in 2026. This is a hugely talented group of performers and creatives who deserve every plaudit going. They never disappoint. In April they will be performing We Will Rock You at the George Lawton Hall, and a year from now it will be Frozen. I cannot wait.
Meanwhile, Calendar Girls continues at the George Lawton Hall in Mossley until Saturday, November 29. I cannot recommend it highly enough.