Preview: The Girls @ Leeds Grand Theatre

The Girls is a brand new musical based on the true story of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute who appeared nude, but for carefully placed buns, teapots and other such props, for a calendar back in 2000. The calendar was an immediate success and the women took the world by storm spawning a film and award-winning play, both of which were written by Tim Firth.

This musical comedy shows the women’s life in a Yorkshire village, how the story began, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters and how a group of ordinary women achieved something extraordinary.

The ‘Calendar Girls’ are played by Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sara Kestelman as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris, Vivien Parry as Celia and Joanna Riding as Annie, with Harriet Thorpe as Marie, the head of the local WI.

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, Gary has written and co-written 14 number one singles, has sold over 50 million records worldwide and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner. Tim 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 Girls will be directed by Roger Haines and Tim Firth, designed by Robert Jones, with comedy staging by Jos Houben, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster, musical direction and orchestrations by Richard Beadle, associate producer U-Live, with casting by Sarah Bird.

The Girls runs until 12 December 2015 at Leeds Grand Theatre.