The Girls (musical)
| The Girls | |
|---|---|
| Music | Tim Firth & Gary Barlow |
| Lyrics | Tim Firth Gary Barlow |
| Book | Tim Firth Gary Barlow |
| Basis | 2003 film Calendar Girls |
| Premiere | November 2015: Grand Theatre, Leeds |
| Productions | 2015 Leeds 2016 Salford 2017 West End |
| Awards | 2017 Best Regional Production Whatsonstage.com Awards |
The Girls is a musical written by Tim Firth and Gary Barlow. The story is based on the film Calendar Girls and is based on a true story. It is produced by David Pugh and Daffyd Rogers.
When Annie's husband John dies from leukaemia at an early age, her close friend Chris, anxious to purchase a comfortable sofa for the visitors' lounge in the hospital where he was treated, hits upon the idea of printing a calendar featuring some of the members of the Knapely branch of the Women's Institute discreetly posing nude while engaged in traditional WI activities, such as baking and knitting, in order to raise funds. Her proposal is initially met with great scepticism, but she eventually convinces ten women to participate in the project with her. They enlist one of the hospital workers, an amateur photographer named Lawrence, to help them with the concept.
The Girls had its premiere at the Grand Theatre, Leeds on 14 November 2015, running to 12 December. The production then transferred to The Lowry, Salford on 13-30 January 2016. It was directed by Tim Firth.
The production transferred to the West End at the Phoenix Theatre with an official opening night on 21 February 2017, with previews from 28 January 2017.
It was directed by Tim Firth, with sets and costume design by Rob Jones, lighting by Tim Lutkin, musical staging by Lizzi Gee, comedy staging by Jos Houben, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster for Autography Design, and projection design by Alex Uragllo,
The production received mixed to positive reviews, with many praising the reinvention of the material into a musical.
Michael Billington, in his 4 star review for The Guardian, noted: “Sometimes Firth’s jokes have a touch of the Carry Ons: at other times, as when a harassed mum declares, “If Jesus had had teenage kids, the Bible would have been very different,” you hear an echo of Alan Bennett. But the musical works beautifully because it suggests the calendar was a way of vanquishing private demons. These women strip to conquer.”
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