Calendar Girls at the Phoenix Theatre starts with a laugh that doesn't really stop

The Calendar Girls in their tai chi class

By Kindle Carpp

If you don’t like to laugh please avoid this play. Calendar Girls starts off with a laugh that doesn’t really stop. The humor has great timing and great energy. It has a thread of a sad story that leads to some touching moments.

Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven Women's Institute members who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999 after the husband of a member dies of the disease.

Director Renee Gilbert said, “Eleven women decided to laugh in the face of traditional propriety and do what they felt needed to be done in order to help overcome grief. And now their laughter is passed onto us.” 

There was a fun use of props to allow the actors to be “nude” on stage.

The ensemble cast and their comedic timing made this lighthearted comedy easy to watch. I especially enjoyed Melanie Calderwood’s subtle physical comedy in her portrayal of the doddering Ruth. And Ingrid Sanai Buron made Marie unlikable in the most authentic kind of way.

I particularly took notice of the costumes by Elizabeth Shipman. It was a subtle use of color in a neutral colored set. They felt like an expression of each character.

Calendar Girls runs through Sunday, October 29, 2023,

• Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
• Sundays at 2pm

Adults $25.00

Seniors 55+/Students/US Military and Veterans $20.00

Purchase tickets online

Run Time: 100 Minutes with a 15-minute intermission

Appropriate for viewers 13 and up with parental guidance suggested and implied nudity.

By Tim Firth, directed by Renee Gilbert.

Cast: Nicola Amos, Ingrid Sanai Buron, Melanie Calderwood. Erin Carter, Susan Connors, Jeannine Early, Erin Hobbs. James Lyle, James Lynch, Keith Remon, Melanie Workhoven, Cody Wyatt.

 

Set Design: Craig Marshall; Renee Gilbert; Susan Connors. Costume Design: Elizabeth Shipman; Stage Manager: Amanda Costinett

The Phoenix Theatre

9673 Firdale Avenue, Edmonds, WA 98020 (in Firdale Village)

206-533-2000

Tickets