Announcing Calendar Girls The Musical!

Crack out the bunting and ice the buns - Calendar Girls The Musical is our first summer production of 2026!

The much-loved show about a group of Yorkshire women who create a fabulous and funny fundraising calendar after the death of one of their husbands is by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth and will be directed by our Artistic Director, Paul Robinson.

The death of a much-loved husband prompts a group of ordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women's Institute to do something extraordinary: create a nude calendar to raise money for charity.

News spreads fast in their community and none of them expect the emotional and personal repercussions, but gradually the making of the fabulous and funny calendar brings each woman unexpectedly into bloom.

The true story of the Calendar Girls launched a global phenomenon, a million copycat calendars, a record-breaking movie, a West End play, and now an awarding-winning musical.

Packed full of unforgettable songs, every performance continues to prove that there is no such thing as an ordinary woman.

Paul Robinson says:

"Our new in-the-round staging of Calendar Girls The Musical brings the audience into the heart of the Rylstone Women's Institute, making this true story of friendship and determination feel more personal and immediate.

"This intimate production will create a unique, shared experience, reminiscent of gathering around a community hall or a close friend's living room, allowing for a deeper connection to the characters and creating a collective, communal atmosphere that fully immerses everyone in the moving story of these ‘ordinary women’ doing something quite extraordinary."

Tim Firth and Gary Barlow say:

“As writers one of the most exciting things that can happen is when someone comes up with a totally new way of staging something you’ve created.

"When Paul described his vision for a new production of Calendar Girls The Musical it was instantly clear he was talking about something we’d never seen before, never imagined and to be honest never thought possible.”

Tim adds:

“I always feel Scarborough to be my home as a writer.

"Not only was it the first place to give me a main stage, but the plays of Alan Ayckbourn embody so much of what I love about theatre. It was en route to a meeting with him about a new play that I called into a Wharfedale fete and bought a calendar from a WI stall.

"Now years later, it seems wonderfully fitting to be starting a production of a musical about that story at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.” 

Calendar Girls The Musical will run at the SJT from 27 June - 25 July, before heading to Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton.

SJT Circle members can snap up tickets from 10am on Wednesday 12 November, and general booking opens from 10am on Wednesday 19 November - get them by calling 01723 370 541, popping in to Box Office, or booking online here.

You can become a member from just £3.33 a month here.