Two years after last gracing the stage, West Bromwich Operatic Society are this week making a welcome return with a new production of Gary Barlow & Tim Firth’s hit musical, Calendar Girls. 

Based on the 2003 film of the same name - featuring a stellar British cast headed by Helen Mirren and Julie Walters - the show tells a beautiful real-life story of ordinary folk doing extraordinary things for the people they love.

In 1998, Angela Baker’s husband, John, was diagnosed with blood cancer' and passed away shortly afterwards. In the months following her bereavement, Angela and her friends, who were members of a small, Yorkshire-based Women’s Institute (WI) group, set about raising funds to buy a new and comfortable sofa for the hospital where John had been treated. 

But the way in which they chose to raise the cash was so remarkable that it soon drew the attention of the world’s media: Angela and her pals created a calendar - one in which each of them discreetly posed nude while engaging in a traditional WI activity, such as baking, knitting or gardening. 

The ‘nude’ calendar proved to be an absolute sensation, ending up not only covering the cost of a sofa but also raising millions of pounds for blood cancer charity Bloodwise...

West Bromwich Operatic Society have been making music since 1938. As an amateur theatre company, they have built an excellent reputation for producing the very best in musical theatre to the very highest of standards. Calendar Girls is yet another example of them doing just that. This heartwarming, poignant and hilarious show boasts funny and emotionally charged performances wherever you care to look. It also features no shortage of moments that can simultaneously bring you to tears and make you laugh out loud.

Beautifully highlighting the strength which people can find through the support of others, the production is an absolute joy to watch.

Five stars

Reviewed by Sue Hull at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Wednesday 23 March where Calendar Girls continues to show until Saturday 26th March.