Show insiders lay
Stripped and unzipped: cast, feelgood musical comes to
IT’S a sunny summer’s day in the Yorkshire Dales and the picture postcard village of Burnsall is a hive of activity.
Barely home to 100 people, it seems like all of them have congregated in the tiny village hall for yet another big moment in the community’s recent history.
Burnsall is home to the famous Calendar Girls, members of the local Women’s Institute who stripped off for a fundraising calendar and caused a worldwide sensation.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of John Baker, the much-loved local man who died just five months after being diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and whose death prompted the calendar. His memory lives on through the Calendar Girls play, film and now a musical written by Take That’s Gary Barlow and Tim Firth.
The original Calendar Girls, alongside the musical’s cast and Gary and Tim, met with in10 in Burnsall Village Hall to talk about the next chapter in this incredible story, ahead of the musical’s visit to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre later this year.
XANGELA BAKER
Isn’t it fantastic that something so tragic turned into a positive? John will be smiling down on us.
It surprises and amazes me that the story is still going. We have to pinch ourselves.
We would have been pleased to sell 1,000 calendars – we sold 88,000! Once the am-dram productions followed the stage show and film, we really thought that would be it. Then the producer, David Pugh, came to my house and let me hear two songs Gary and Tim were working on – and we knew if they had teamed up it was a force to be reckoned with.
Even now, after all this time, it feels strange watching our story being played out.
XLYNDA LOGAN
My husband, Terry, did the photos. Some of the ladies didn’t want a man to do it at first, but we invited them to the house and in that first evening he took 10 photos – all of which were used. He was fabulous and we were all so relaxed.
I was his assistant, gathering all the props we used from around the house.
He had worked everything out in his mind, so worked very quickly – if he had faffed around it would probably have made everyone nervous.
We would never have had the same success if it wasn’t for him.
I wish we could do it again!
XGARY BARLOW
I met Tim on BBC’S Pebble Mill as part of a Christmas song competition when I was 15 and he was 20, and we discovered we were from the same tiny village.
I think that’s what has made this so unique – that two long-time friends have written a show based on friendship. When we came to the village hall and saw the place and met all the Girls, it began to make sense and we knew its heart.
I’ve never been in a musical but I have total respect for those involved. Performing a show twice in one day is quite exceptional.
I admire it but
I could never do it.
After the tour? We’ll all be a bit older and saggier!