The lead singer of long established boy band TAKE THAT hasn’t had a lot of luck with musical theatre so far. A jukebox show which he wasn’t involved with but which featured many of his songs was a tepid affair and his score for the Broadway musical FINDING NEVERLAND didn’t find favour with the New York critics and audiences have dwindled.
This next project sounds like a sure fire winner though.
Casting has been announced for THE GIRLS, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's musical adaptation of CALENDAR GIRLS.
Inspired by the story of a group of ladies, the so called Calendar Girls, the musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how they came to pose for a calendar in the buff to raise money for charity, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary. Barlow and Firth both grew up in the same village and have been friends for twenty five years.
The show will star: Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sara Kestelman as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris, Vivien Parry as Celia, Joanna Riding as Annie and Harriet Thorpe as Marie. Also in the cast will be Stephen Boswell as Colin, Joe Caffrey as Rod, Jeremy Clyde as Denis, Susan Fay as Brenda, Steve Giles as Lawrence, Richard Huw as John, Shirley Jameson as Miss Wilson, Judith Street as Lady Cravenshire and Karen West as the other Miss Wilson.
THE GIRLS will premiere at the Leeds Grand Theatre on 14th November for a limited season until 12th December 2015. The show will then transfer to The Lowry in Salford between 8th and 30th January 2016. Further tour dates are extended to be announced.
It ought to be as popular as the film and play based on the same events and indeed the calendar itself! And with Barlow’s name attached it seems certain to find its way into the West End soon.
Gemma Chan and John Simm lead the cast of the 50th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter’s seriously creepy play, THE HOMECOMING.