Review: Calendar Girls The Musical (Octagon Theatre, Bolton)

Review by Bella Flynn Haddon

⭐️⭐️⭐️

To say I was curious as to how this musical would work in the Octagon Theatre Bolton would be a massive understatement. Calendar Girls, based on the 2003 film of the same name, is best known for its meticulous planning and use of angles in order to keep everything covered while photographing a nude calendar. So, upon hearing it was going to be performed in the round, I knew I had to see it for myself to see if it was even possible for the show to be transformed to fit the space. 

Calendar Girls tells the story of a branch of the Women’s Institute in Knapley, Yorkshire. After Annie’s husband passes from leukemia, the group decides to band together to create a nude calendar in order to raise money for his memorial. I was incredibly touched to discover this was also based on a true story, and it is so incredibly important that this story keeps being told to keep people talking about this horrible disease. This production was also raising money for Blood Cancer UK and the total raised from the play and musical is expected to reach £1 million with this production - see the bottom of this review for the donation link. 

While the story itself is excellent, the book and score by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth were far from perfect. For me, the pacing felt a little off, with the musical feeling really slow to get going and most songs bringing the plot to a complete stop. The music itself was delivered well, with some gorgeous harmonies from the cast; however, I found it quite forgettable, and I don’t feel like the songs will be something I listen to after watching the show. Despite this, the writing managed moments where it was exceptionally funny, and the message and themes still landed. 

Throughout the performance, the cast members themselves played their own accompaniment, with characters swapping between acting and playing during scenes, and most playing multiple instruments with minimal sheet music. This was a choice by director Paul Robinson to reflect on how the women of the WI relied on one another, stating, “our ensemble relies on each other to execute every note and cue”. Each time someone picked up a new instrument, I found myself a little more impressed. I was completely blown away by the creativity of the production and the incredible talent of the cast involved in executing this so flawlessly. 

Protagonist Annie was played by Christina Meehan, who brings a lot of heart to the role as well as incredibly strong vocals. Her acting style felt very natural, and she was the perfect driving force for the production. Karen Holmes as Chris, Annie’s rebellious best friend, was a comedic powerhouse, and the audience could not help but get behind her as she struggles to balance helping her grieving best friend, keeping her son in line, and of course, her nude calendar. 

The cast also consisted of some really strong young people. The subplot involving Danny, Jenny and Tommo, played by Billy Currid, Grace Pearce and Charlie France respectively, was a real highlight for me. The trio delivered some wonderful comic relief and excellent vocals, and I cannot wait to see what they do next. Overall, the ensemble was absolutely fantastic. Each character is relatable in their own way, and they bounced off each other really well, dipping between scenes and all their different instruments. They were a real delight to watch, and the production would not have been the same without them.  

With the music being played on stage in such an intimate venue, the instruments often overpowered the vocals and at times I could barely hear what the cast were singing. During the production, there was a technical show stop to do with the sound, which was handled very professionally by stage manager Caroline Sheard and the company, with the show getting back up and running very quickly. I was hoping that after the show stop, the quality of the sound would improve; however, I found it did not. It is entirely possible that the issues I experienced that night were a one-off, but the sound mixing is definitely something that needs a little work, as it took away from some amazing vocals and important parts of the story got lost. 

Of course the question still stands: were they able to pull off the intricacies of making a nude calendar in the round? The answer is an astounding yes. The choreography and intimacy direction by Stephanie Dattani gave me confidence that we were in safe hands, and the climax with the girls posing for their nude calendar was done expertly through some clever costume changes, prop placement, and a lot of help from their fellow cast members. Every aspect of the design felt thought through by set and costume designer Helen Coyston. Despite the minimal set, the changes were smooth, with even the tech team appearing in costumes to change the scenery, which was a really nice touch. 

The production was incredibly inspiring, and it was so touching to see this group of women come together to step out of their comfort zone for something larger than themselves. While certain aspects could be worked on, what was good was really good, and it's impossible to leave the theatre without having had a good time. We need more musicals like this one: joyful, cheeky and inherently northern. To quote one of the writers, “this is my idea of a very nice day out”. 

Calendar Girls The Musical plays at the Octagon Theatre Bolton until the 31st October. Tickets from https://octagonbolton.co.uk/events/calendar-girls-the-musical#dates-and-times

To donate to Blood Cancer and help this production reach its goal, head to https://bloodcancer.org.uk/

Photos by Tony Bartholomew