THE stage adaptation of ‘Calendar Girls’, is set to bare all at the Merlin Theatre from Tuesday 2nd to Sunday 7th of October.
The Merlin Theatre Company has taken on the challenge of telling the funny, poignant, yet uplifting story of the calendar girls and their journey. Calendar Girls is based on the true story of a surprising idea by members of a Yorkshire WI who wanted to raise money for leukaemia research when it touched the life of one of its members. What started as a bid to raise enough money for a sofa for their local hospital snowballed into international fame when their undressed calendar on a WI theme took off. The story of the friendship and support of the women behind the idea took the world by storm, leading to the massive success of the film and stage play. Now, the play is coming to Frome and the local actors are bravely stepping out to bring their story to the Merlin Theatre stage.
The characters of Chris and Annie (played by Victoria May and Claire Johnson) may take the limelight but the other calendar girls Jessie, Cora, Ruth and Celia (Lesley Swinburn, Lesley Houston, Sue Ross and Sara O’Connor) and indeed Marie the noble leader (Eleanor Marsh) all have their own story to tell.
The Merlin says, “The play is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and also shed tears, ‘Calendar Girls’ will have you singing Jerusalem at the top of your voice. This stage adaptation of Tim Firth’s smash-hit film guarantees a dazzlingly funny and heartbreaking night of theatre to raise funds for the Merlin and the Leukemia Research Fund.”
Tickets are available from the box office on 01373 465949 Or online at www. merlintheatre.co.uk