Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls the Musical tours to the Theatre Royal Bath with an all-star cast

A brand-new production of the smash-hit stage show Calendar Girls The Musical visits the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 5^th to Saturday 9^th March featuring a cast of music, stage and television stars, including Laurie Brett (EastEnders), Maureen Nolan (The Nolans, Blood Brothers), Lyn Paul (The New Seekers, Blood Brothers), Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle’s War), Helen Pearson (Hollyoaks), Samantha Seager (Coronation Street) and Liz Carney (The Full Monty, The Mousetrap).

A group of ordinary women, in a small Yorkshire Women's Institute, are prompted to do an extraordinary thing following the death of a much-loved husband, and set about creating a nude calendar to raise money for charity. But upturning preconceptions is a dangerous business and none of the women are prepared for the emotional and personal ramifications they will face as the fabulous and funny calendar brings each woman unexpectedly into flower.

The real-life story of the Calendar Girls launched a global phenomenon: a million copycat calendars, a record-breaking movie, stage play and a musical written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth. This production sees the incredible true story continue to bloom, with a reimagined book and new music, in a show packed with even more songs and more laughter, bringing the joy to life live on stage.

Tim Firth and Gary Barlow said: “The chance to look again with fresh eyes at our musical is something that came as an unexpected opportunity during lockdown and we’re both hugely excited not only with the shape we found, but also to work on a new production of it with such an amazing cast.” 

Laurie Brett, who stars as Annie, is well known on television for her long-running roles as Jane Beale in BBC’s EastEnders and Christine in Waterloo Road. She recently starred in ITV’s Shetland, played DC Gemma Darlington alongside David Tennant in Channel 4’s Deadwater Fell, and appeared as Izzy Alessi in all episodes of Traces on BritBox. On stage, Laurie has starred in plays ranging from Band of Gold to Looking Good Dead, and in musicals, including Les Misérables in the West End and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on tour, including in Bath twenty-six years ago, when she last performed at the Theatre Royal in 1998. 

Maureen Nolan, who stars as Ruth, is one of the world-famous Nolan Sisters, who have sold more than thirty million records. She has been in the entertainment industry for over six decades and worked alongside some of the biggest names in showbusiness from Motorhead to Frank Sinatra. In 2022 Maureen and her sisters were the recipients of The Variety Club’s prestigious ‘Legends of the Industry’ Award.  Maureen has appeared in countless musicals, most notably a two-year West End run in Blood Brothers and on tour, including at the Theatre Royal Bath in 2013. Her other theatre credits include Footloose, Peter Pan, Mum’s The Word, Naked Truth, The Eva Cassidy Story and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Starring as Jessie, Lyn Paul first came to fame in the early 1970s in The New Seekers, who recorded the Grammy Award-nominated song, I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, for the iconic Coca-Cola commercial. It sold over twenty-eight million copies and remains one of the 100 best-selling UK singles. She has worked with artists including Johnny Mathis, Olivia Newton-John and Norman Wisdom, and sang the Golden Globe Award-nominated song, Sail the Summer Winds, for the Gregory Peck movie, The Dove. In 1997, Lyn made her debut in musical theatre in the West End as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers and has reprised the role regularly over the last twenty years, including at Bath’s Theatre Royal in 2018. Her credits also include Footloose, Cabaret, Boy George’s Taboo, Emmerdale and Coronation Street. In Bath, Lyn has also starred in a Gala Evening in 1990 and the pantomime Babes in the Wood in 1989.

Honeysuckle Weeks, who stars as Cora, is best known on television for her role as Samantha Stewart in Foyle’s War, a role she played from 2002 to 2015. Her screen credits also include The Five, Lewis, Death in Paradise, The Charles Dickens Show and Where The Heart Is. Her theatre credits include Pygmalion and Love’s Labour’s Lost at Chichester, and Witness for the Prosecution and A Daughter’s A Daughter on UK tour. Previously at the Theatre Royal Bath, Honeysuckle has starred in Absurd Person Singular in 2008 and The Best Man opposite Martin Shaw in 2017, which was followed by a West End transfer.

Helen Pearson, who appears as Celia, is best known on television as Frankie in Hollyoaks, a role she played for over fifteen years. She was also series regular April Mackintosh in EastEnders; appeared as Carol Waring in Emmerdale and played opposite John Thaw in the last episode of Inspector Morse. Helen first trod the boards aged four and has continued to do so for over fifty years, appearing extensively in repertory, fringe and West End theatre and on screen.

Samantha Seager, who plays the role of Chris, has starred in the West End in Only Fools and Horses, Into The Woods and Billy Elliot. She has also worked with the John Godber Theatre Company, Hull Truck, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Watford Palace and Sheffield Crucible. On television she has played regular roles in Coronation Street, The Hello Girls and The Lakes, and guest roles in series including Vera, EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty and Silent Witness.

Liz Carney, who plays the role of Marie, has performed in the West End in The Mousetrap and We Happy Few, and in two nationwide tours of The Full Monty. Her many stage credits include starring in multiple productions at the Oldham Coliseum, and with theatre companies including Northern Broadsides and Hull Truck. She has appeared on television in Mount Pleasant, The Royal and Emmerdale. Liz last played Bath’s Theatre Royal in Shakers with Hull Truck Theatre in 2009.

Colin R Campbell plays the role of John and Andrew Tuton appears as Rod. The ensemble are Jayne Ashley, Lucas August, and Victoria Hay, who played Tinkerbell in the Theatre Royal Bath’s pantomime Peter Pan in 2013.

The tour supports Blood Cancer UK, the charity dedicated to funding research into all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as offering information and support to blood cancer patients.