They've bloomed: The Girls extends booking, introduces Tuesday matinee

22 Feb
2017
Posted in: Theatre News
Author: Press Releases
they-ve-bloomed-the-girls-extends-booking-introduces-tuesday-matinee
Claire Machin, Sophie-Louise Dann,

On the back of sensational reviews for its West End premiere, THE GIRLS has extended its booking period at the Phoenix Theatre and added an extra weekly matinee - rather perfect for Yorkshire (and other) ladies of a certain age...

From Monday 27 February 2017, the booking period for Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s award-winning new British musical, THE GIRLS, will extend to 15 July 2017.  A Tuesday matinee will be introduced from 25 April.

THE GIRLS, based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, opened last night, Tuesday 21 February, at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End, where it had previewed from 28 January 2017. The West End premiere follows sold-out runs at the Grand Theatre Leeds and the Lowry Salford late 2015/early 2016. In the West End, the producers have made a commitment to there being no ‘premium-rated’ seats.

The ‘Girls’ are played by Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sophie-Louise Dann as Celia, Michele Dotrice as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris and Joanna Riding as Annie.  Also in the cast will be Joe Caffrey as Rod, Jeremy Clyde as Denis, John Davitt as Doctor, Soo Drouet as Brenda, James Gaddas as John, Jenny Gayner as Miss Wilson (coffee), Steve Giles as Lawrence, Maxwell Hutcheon as Colin, Shirley Jameson as Miss Wilson (tea), Marian McLoughlin as Marie, Judith Street as Lady Cravenshire and Jane Lambert, Rebecca Louis, Victoria Blackburn and Frazer Hadfield, and introducing Josh Benson as Tommo, Ben Hunter as Danny and Chloe May Jackson as Jenny.

THE GIRLS is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise.  This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.

THE GIRLS is directed by Tim Firth, with musical staging by Lizzi Gee, comedy staging by Jos Houben, design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster, musical direction and orchestrations by Richard Beadle, with casting by Sarah Bird, and associate producer is U-Live.

THE GIRLS is produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and The Shubert Organization. Bloodwise, the UK’s specialist blood cancer charity, will receive monies from this production.