Kathy Kicks Off the Year as Miss January

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.

It was Gaz's First Ever Musical at College and Now He's Rocking for a Second Time!

He’s a dynamic personality who drives the plot of the musical We Will Rock You. “Brit” leads a group of rebels, the Bohemians, who are passionate about bringing back rock music to a world where it’s been outlawed.

Gaz plays Brit in We Will Rock You

In rehearsal for BATS’ production of the show, actor Gaz Cottier is hurling himself “Headlong” into the role, whether it’s a physical action sequence or belting out a classic Queen song like I Want It All or Crazy Little Thing Called Love. What audiences may not realise is that Gaz has a serious visual impairment.

“I’m legally blind,” says Gaz. “I can only see out of one eye - and that’s not great. I’ve had a couple of retinal detachments and need another cataract surgery.”

“I can’t make direct eye contact, so when I’m acting opposite Chloe who plays Brit’s partner Oz, I try to focus on her nose instead!”

“I have all the music in large print on my iPad, as I can’t read the notes off paper manuscripts. We’ve also had numerous conversations about lighting levels.”

“It makes things a tad challenging,” he adds modestly. “But I assure you I’ll be absolutely fine!”

Indeed, when Gaz heard BATS were doing We Will Rock You, it was a case of Don’t Stop Me Now.

“The show’s special to me as it was the first musical I ever performed in and the first time I ever sang on stage. I was 17 and it was at sixth form college in North Wales.”

“One of the teachers was musical director of a male voice choir and encouraged me to join as he could see some promise in my voice, but he said it needed proper training.”

Fast forward almost two decades and Gaz is revisiting the show that first gave him that performing bug.

“Just being a part of singing those songs…it’s something quite special.”

See Gaz in We Will Rock You at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 12-16 May 2026. View show information and book tickets.

"It was a Sign!" Grace Recalls the Moment she Decided to Audition for Scaramouche

We Will Rock You holds a very special place in the heart of Grace Trinder, who plays the leading role of Scaramouche in BATS’ production of the musical which features all the best-loved songs of Queen.

Grace Trinder plays Scaramouche

“It reminds me of a really nice time in my life,” says Grace, who teaches drama at the Abbey School in Reading. “I put on the show at school in 2024. Of course we all loved the songs, but finding sense in the craziness of the story with the kids was just amazing! I was also getting married around the same time, so when I saw BATS were doing the show I thought this is a sign! I just had to audition!”

After the big responsibility of directing, producing and stage managing that school version, Grace is enjoying taking to the stage herself again after a break of several years.

“I get a new energy when I go to rehearsal and do something just for me. I don’t have to make all the decisions and I’m not dealing with the stress of everything else.”

She’s loving the part of Scaramouche, the rebel on a mission to bring back rock ‘n roll to a world where music has been banned.

“She’s blunt, sarcastic - very much my sense of humour! And she gets to be in all the good songs - Somebody to Love, Who Wants to Live Forever, Under Pressure, Hammer to Fall, Headlong.”

“There are a lot of harmonies to learn so I’m just listening to the soundtrack in the car over and over again!”

It sounds like Grace has the perfect balance of a job and a hobby she loves. She certainly has no regrets about giving up a professional career in performing.

“I trained in musical theatre and acting for film. I was in the industry for a year but I didn’t like the uncertainty of it all. I didn’t want to fall out of love with the theatre - but still wanted to do a job where I could do theatre every day. Now as a teacher I’m helping kids to love it - and hopefully keeping theatre alive for the next generation!”

See Grace in We Will Rock You at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 12-16 May 2026. View show information and book tickets.

Dale's Gearing Up to Rock for the Second Time!

“What I love most about performing is being up on stage with all your mates, having a great time and hopefully getting that across to the audience too,” says Dale Barrell, star of BATS’ production of We Will Rock You.

Dale Barrell stars as Galileo

“Then at the end you can look back and say we did it! We got through it! And it’s all about working together as part of a team.”

After making his BATS debut in Come From Away last year, Dale’s now loving playing the lead role of Galileo in the musical that features all the best loved songs of Freddie Mercury and Queen, anchored to a witty script by comedian Ben Elton.

Set in a dystopian future where live music is banned by the tyrannical Globalsoft Corporation, We Will Rock You follows rebels Galileo and Scaramouche as they fight to restore rock 'n' roll to its rightful place!

“It’s a privilege to perform all of Queen’s iconic songs - but really tough to choose a favourite,” says Dale. “Who Wants to Live Forever is a beautiful number, but I also love the big anthems like We Are The Champions. Hopefully audiences will be waving their arms and singing along to that one!”

Dale got the performing bug in local pantomimes where he also turned his hand to writing, directing and choreography. He later joined CODY musical theatre company and has just finished a run in their production of We Will Rock You in Aldershot.

Surely it’s been confusing rehearsing two separate versions of the same show?

“Fortunately not!” laughs Dale. “I played another role in the CODY show, and their version was a different interpretation to BATS. There wasn’t too much of an overlap!”

Now Dale’s fully focussed on bringing Galileo to life. He hopes audiences seeing We Will Rock You for the first time - and hearing the songs performed by a live band - will have the same reaction he experienced when he saw the original production at London’s Dominion Theatre.

“I was blown away by the music, the sound, everything! It was like a rock concert with a story. I absolutely loved it!”

See Dale in We Will Rock You at the Haymarket, Basingstoke from 12-16 May 2026. View show information and book tickets.

Max Harwood returns to BATS and ‘Pays it Forward’ as the Assistant Director for Come From Away

When I stepped back into Christ Church in Chineham, it wasn't like ten years had gone by! There are still people here that I love and I've known since I was a kid!"

Max Harwood

Max Harwood's achieved a lot in the decade since he was last in the room where he's speaking to me. Back in 2015, he was here rehearsing for the Society’s production of Grease.

Plucked from drama school to play the lead role in the 2021 film musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie, beating 3,000 other hopefuls, Max then went on to star in the West End shows Stranger Things and most recently Percy Jackson - The Lightning Thief, as well as other projects. So what's brought him back to BATS?

"My best friend Rhiannon told me BATS were doing Come From Away, which is my favourite show - I'm absolutely obsessed with it. They were looking for people to help out and I emailed to say I was available over the Summer, as my sister was getting married. I had a meeting with Jenny Sawyer, the director, and she asked, "I need an assistant - will you come and assist me?"

Max giving his time and experience to BATS exemplifies the main theme of Come from Away - the community spirit shown by the people of Gander, Newfoundland. They opened their homes and hearts to 7,000 stranded aircraft passengers and crew after the 9/11 attacks.

"I'm hopefully bringing a bit of calm, a bit of knowledge, and a lot of passion to rehearsals. I discovered my love for theatre at BATS, so in a way I'm ‘paying it forward’."

"Every job you do, including this one, teaches you something. On my first job (Everybody's Talking About Jamie) I worked with Richard E. Grant who was learning to walk in heels. I told him I was nervous. He said he was nervous too, as he'd never walked in heels before! He said on every job you do, you have to go in with that nervous energy and be willing to learn and never stop learning. I think you do carry that from project to project."

"I'm always going to be acting as it's my passion. I'm also currently developing two projects of my own that I'm writing. But directing and assisting is something I'm keenly interested in, and would like to do more of in years to come. Working on Come From Away has been really formative, for sure."

See Come From Away from 19-22 November 2025. Evening performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. View show information and book tickets.