It’s the true story of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute ladies who decided to strip off for a risqué charity calendar - and ended up raising millions of pounds for cancer research. It later became a much-loved film starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.
Kathy plays the role of Jessie
Now Gary Barlow’s musical version of Calendar Girls is coming to the Haymarket, Basingstoke. And the big question is, how will they portray the scene immortalised in the line “We’re going to need considerably bigger buns”?
“There is a certain choreography to it” laughs Kathy May-Miller, whose character Jessie is “Miss January” in the calendar.
“It’s all about the other members of the cast moving things around us, then when we give the nod they reveal what we’re hiding behind. For me it’s my knitting!”
Kathy says the prospect of performing “that scene” has bonded the cast together.
“We’ve formed a real team. You can imagine we’ve known each other and lived in the same village for 30 years.”
“My character Jessie is a retired primary school headteacher. She’s quite forthright with a dry sense of humour. The WI is her chance to relax and let her hair down a little bit, while still making sure everyone maintains standards!”
Kathy recalls the original Calendar Girls making national headlines in 1998 and says they’re an inspiration.
“I can remember thinking gosh, that’s not what I thought the WI was like! But this is a story about celebrating ourselves for who we are. It wasn’t done gratuitously, it was done for a good cause, and look how much money they raised.”
Members recently ran the Basingstoke 10k dressed as sunflowers to raise funds for local cancer charities and towards a special community performance on 17th November for people affected by cancer.
The legacy of the original Calendar Girls lives on, almost 30 years after their story first captured our hearts.
BATS production of Calendar Girls runs at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 17-21st November. View show information and book tickets.