Calendar Girls (Tour – Oxford)

After the success of the calendar itself and the film it inspired, there can be few who aren’t already familiar with the central premise of Calendar Girls,the ladies of the WI who bare all for a charity calendar after the premature death of one of their husbands. But however well known the story, it certainly hasn’t grown stale, and the stage version leads its audience through the protagonists’ journey with tenderness, warmth, and wit. Within a few scenes I was dabbing tears away from my eyes. By the end of the first act, the handkerchief had come out again – but this time for tears of laughter.

The show is ably carried by Linda Bellingham and Jan Harvey as Chris and Annie, the friends at the centre of it all. Highlights of a talented supporting cast include Debbie Chazen as hard-to-convince Ruth, and June Watson as feisty senior citizen Jessie.

The nudity is carefully handled: artfully placed tea trays and knitting mean nothing more is on display than was featured in the original calendar (though the sight of Linda Bellingham adorned with little more than a handful of flowers still drew an enthusiastic reaction from the audience).

It’s not an absolutely flawless piece: the New Theatre is a big space to fill, and there were times when the production felt a little underpowered – which was a shame, as we occasionally lost what was undoubtedly witty dialogue. But this isn’t enough to detract from the show’s overall appeal, and for a funny, touching, and heart-warming piece of theatre, Calendar Girls is hard to beat.

– Meriel Patrick