We’ve all become used to seeing stage adaptions of popular films in recent years, and we love to see musical versions of some of our favourite characters come to life in the theatre. It adds a completely different challenge when a show was not only a very popular film with an excellent cast, but is also based on the true life events of the loss of a woman’s husband. In the case of tackling the Calendar Girls, this adds a need for a level of sensitivity and care, which I believe that BBLOC have met with aplomb.
Calendar Girls is not the all singing, all dancing spectacle that we have become used to seeing BBLOC tackle over the years. This musical is deeply emotional, with all of the characters exploring their own issues and insecurities very beautifully throughout. With this in mind, during the show, it did beg the question of whether the Pavilion was the right setting to enable all of the audience members to have the same experience of seeing and feeling the emotions, and in some cases, humour of the characters. To any potential audience members, if you are going to see this musical, I recommend trying to sit as close to the front as possible to have the best experience.
This show is wholly reliant on an incredibly strong cast, and there are certainly no concerns on that score! In the leading roles of Chris and Annie, Sally Wheeler and Rachel Fordslike were both excellent. They both delivered their respective characters beautifully, and each held their own during their solo performances.
Emma Wogan was perfect in the role of the well-to-do ex-air hostess, Celia. She was a lot of fun to watch and had the audience chuckling. Speaking of humour, Jane Kerfoot as Jessie also had some excellent lines which were delivered with a lot of skill and I loved watching her onstage.
Kim Fletcher as Cora, the vicar’s daughter, gave a great range of emotions in her demonstration of tackling the stigma of single motherhood. She also had a really lovely way with her on-stage son. As Ruth, Jo Uzzell showed us a lovely character arc, from a perfect housewife to a woman embracing herself and her freedom. Completely believable and relatable.
All of the leading women were fantastic throughout and I can’t praise them enough for their performances and their bravery! The rest of the cast were also fabulous, without a single weak link. There were so many fabulous performances that it’s very difficult to point them all out individually. I do, however, wish to send kudos to Debbie Burns and Fiona Thomson who were also brave enough to bare for the calendars. I don’t know how you girls did it… but wow!
I wish BBLOC the very best with the rest of their run. Calendar Girls will be at the Pavilion until 8 April.
Chelsea Ball In this area we are blessed with a goodly number of local theatre groups who are broadly split into either musical societies or drama groups. It is very rare indeed to find a drama group performing a musical, or vice-versa, so all credit to BBLOC who, for the first time in their 69 year history, have taken on the challenge of this show, which is far more of a play with music than it is a musical, despite its title.
The ’big C’ touches far too many lives, but research into its causes has been boosted since 1999 by the initial idea of one Yorkshire Women’s institute to produce a ‘nude’ calendar to raise funds for a sofa at the local hospital in memory of the late husband of one of their members. Its tremendous success and the story behind it subsequently spawned a hit film, a play, and now a musical – and to quote from an entirely different musical, ‘the money keeps rolling in’.
So did BBLOC rise to the challenge? Absolutely 100%. There was never a moment when I felt that any of the major performers were anything less than the people they were portraying, so completely true to life were their characters, and it was certainly an opportunity for these actors to demonstrate that they definitely have more than one string to their bows as they proved to have both acting and vocal ability in abundance.
The six ‘calendar girls’ – Chris (Sally Wheeler), Annie (Rachel Forsdike), Celia (Emma Wogan), Jessie (Jane Kerfoot), Cora (Kim Fletcher) and Ruth (Jo Uzzell) each had moving back stories that could easily have brought the audience to the verge of tears and, I’m sure, did so – because, as I have already mentioned, their portrayals seemed so completely genuine.
I was also mightily impressed by the ‘teenagers’ in the cast - Oliver Payne, playing Chris’ son Danny, and Jessica Dawson-King as Jenny, the daughter of repressed WI Chairperson Marie (Elaine Peters). I’d like to say that they will help ensure the company’s future high standards but, alas, I see from the programme that both are imminently off to drama school. Let’s not forget the men either in this mainly female-orientated show, and Philip Fry (John), Jonathan Busk (Rod) Ian Metcalfe (Colin) and Simon Meredith (Denis) are all absolutely superb, as is company chairman Darren Ellery as photographer Lawrence.
A shout-out too to the ensemble and smaller roles, to the small orchestra conducted in style by Ian Peters, to director Helen Barrington for such an incredible achievement, to the wardrobe team, and finally to the props and backstage team for such seamless scene changes.
The show runs until Saturday evening, with matinees today (Thursday) and Saturday. If you have the time, please support this excellent company – by doing so you will also be supporting Macmillan Caring Locally. I promise you won’t regret it.
Linda Kirkman In 1999 a small group of ladies released an ‘alternative’ Women’s Institute calendar that sold out in the first week and launched a global phenomenon. Now the true story has been the inspiration for a movie, stage play and musical, written by Tim Firth and Gary Barlow, helping to raise funds for Lymphoma and Leukaemia research.
BBLOC’s production of Calendar Girls, showing at the Pavilion Theatre until Saturday, is everything this story is. It’s funny, sad and a strange in between but above all; it’s inspiring. Not only is the story itself inspiring but the women who are cast are too. Sally Wheeler (Chris), Rachel Forsdike (Annie), Emma Wogan (Celia), Jane Kerfoot, (Jessie) Kim Fletcher (Cora), Jo Uzzell (Ruth), Debbie Burns (Miss Wilson Tea), Fiona Thompson (Miss Wilson Coffee), well done! PSA, this production does contain mild nudity!
The casting and production were excellent, as always with BBLOC. The quality of the chorus harmonies as well as the staging and scenery was also very high. This isn’t a big-number, glitz and glamour musical but a heart-warming story told with subtle but brilliant humour.
There is something very familiar about this production, with intimacy between us as the audience and the characters and the parallels we can join to our own loved ones.
The cast meshed well together. It’s startling to think that they haven’t all grown up in the village together and known each other for years. The energy that Sally Wheeler gave as Chris was so convincing that I can only assuming that is her personality off the stage. Delivering vibrancy in her song dazzling Sunflower with song, impressive vocality. Rachel Forsdike as Annie was also excellent, bring tears to eyes in what felt like the first 10 minutes, with raw and familiar emotion in her Scarborough number. A special mention to Jo Uzzell playing Beth, who blended beautiful with her character, one which we can all relate to.
Everyone’s been touched by cancer in some way, but this is a story about bringing back the control that it takes away, in memory of those lost. This musical made me feel empowered and light as a feather. If you’re looking for something to make you feel the same (and have a good laugh), I’d recommend Calendar Girls at the pavilion Theatre.
Sophie for Encore Reviews 
Over the last few years Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company have built up a reputation for producing some outstanding shows at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre. Calendar Girls, The Musical, is another one that they can add to the list.
The true story of Calendar Girls is well known across the globe, the story line was originally told in a Blockbuster film, followed by the Stage play, and finally it became a Musical, all to great success.
Whichever way the story has been told it has always moved me to tears, and this brilliant BBLOC production was no exception. It was very moving throughout. The six very brave leading ladies all gave outstanding performances with fantastic team work. They were supported by an excellent group of principals and a wonderful small ensemble.
The musical numbers were all superb, and full of emotion. The small band sounded wonderful and were not allowed to overpower the performers on the stage.
I was very impressed by the young performers who portrayed the role of Jenny and Danny, I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
Every performance of Calendar Girl inspires people to raise funds for the many Cancer Charities that there are, and long may it continue to do so.
Well done BBLOC for having the inspiration to bring this outstanding production to Bournemouth.
Brian Oliver
