CALENDAR GIRLS is known as the female version
of the classic movie, The Full Monty. It is right that, in
time, THE FULL MONTY happened first with the
movie releasing in 1997, and the movie CALENDAR
GIRLS was released in 1997.
Whilst THE FULL MONTY was a work off fiction, there
were no six steelworkers who became strippers to
raise funds for child support and charity, CALENDAR
GIRLS had its basis in reality. The women of the
Rylstone Women’s Institute in Yorkshire did do a nude
calendar for charity.
This current production by the Lane Cove Theatre
Company features Tim Firth’s 2008 stage adaptation
of the movie which he co-wrote.
Any play or film that comes with the tag- based on a
true story – comes with plenty of dramatic licence,
and Firth’s play has that feeling that there is plenty of
this going on.
CALENDAR GIRLS is primarily set in a church hall
where the local WI group meet in the cosy fictional
town Knapely. We meet Annie and her ailing husband John who is
losing his battle with cancer. John has accepted his
fate. He tells Annie, ‘the sunflowers of Yorkshire are
like the women of Yorkshire. Every stage of their
growth has its own beauty, but the last phases are
always the most glorious.’
John talks to the women as a group, telling him of his
love for sunflowers, how through the day they always
seek out the rays of the sun, always looking for the
light, the positive.
John passes, Annie grieves and the WI is quiet.
Meanwhile Chris mulling over John’s words. She
begins to see it as a call for action. Yes, she thought,
we all live very ordinary lives, and we are well in to
middle age, still that doesn’t that we are over the hill,
we can still have fun, be beautiful, even sexy. Then
the thought comes to her, why doesn’t the WI do a
nude calendar, just to have a bit of fun, and maybe it
will start getting Annie to move from her grief.
Chris proposes the idea to the group. Art first, there is
just consternation, still somehow all the women are
persuaded and the adventure begins…
The play’s comic, cheerful, upbeat, mischievous tone
draws us in. The show’s big highlight was the show’s
lengthy photo shoot where each of the women
pose in expressive, risqué ways, with vrry humorous backdrops/settings.
Kathy Petrakis’ production for LCTC captured the
spirit of the play, its humour and poignancy. The cast
were vibrant. There was a good use of muli media with the projection
of an image of a countryside hill replete with sunflowers.
As Lawrence, Blake Nicholas was good fun as the
amateur photographer (his job was as a hotel porter)
whom the women recruit to cover their photoshoot.
At first he is very flummoxed by the carrying ons of
the women but then he gets in the groove. Nicholas
also plays the bit part of Liam.
Russian born, Sydney based actor Anastasia
Vokhmyakova makes an impression in three smallish
roles. Her regal entrances as the snooty Lady
Cravenshire wast fun as was her playing the fussy,
pedantic make up artist, Elaine. She also played the
bit part Brenda.
Anite Lenzo is good as Annie, the emotional heart of
the story. Hers is quite the journey, from a grieving
widow to being the group’s poster girl.
Michelle Bellamy played the effffusive character
Chris, Annie’s close friend. She is outgoing, rebellious
and humorous. Chris is the engine of the play,,
coming up with the idea of the nude calendar.
Michelle seemed to suit the role.
Jannette Chambers played the charming Cora, a
local organic grocer who plays the piano and is
Upbeat.
Georgina Philpott played Celia, a trophy, posh wife
from a wealthy background and feels like a bit of an
outsider in the village. Her posing for the calendar
brought her closer to the other women.
As Ruth, Josephine Birch plays arguably the most
mousey of the group, a people pleaser who is terrified
of what other people think, and her posing is a brave
Act.
Karen Firmstone plays retired schoolteacher, no-
nonsense Jessie, who keeps then women grounded,
well as much as they can be!
Pauline Gardner is a lot of fun as dragon lady Marie,
the Chairperson of the Women’s Institute, an old
guard type, who hates the idea of the calendar, and
the women push against her.
Darren Gibson gives a touching portrayal as the kin
d hearted, wise John who loses his battle with cancer
and gives them the sunflower seeds to plant. Gibson
also plays Chris’s husband, Rod, a bloke guy who is a
little bewildered by the ‘female revolution’ taking
Place.
The performances received a big stamp of approval
from the audience. We cheered on and laughed along
as the women took a break from their conventional,
conservative lives and went a bit wild and au naturel.
CALENDAR GIRLS is currently playing the Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lane Cove. Season ends Sunday March 1 with a 3pm performance.
