Liverpool Empire date for Calendar Girls the Musical

Tim Firth and Gary Barlow are bookending the year at the Liverpool Empire.

Not only is The Band coming to the Lime Street theatre this month, but their previous collaboration Calendar Girls – the Musical is set to make its Empire debut in November.

Fern Britton, Ruth Madoc, Sara Crowe, Anna-Jane Casey, Denise Welch, Lorraine Bruce and Rebecca Storm are among the cast, pictured above in this photo by John Swannell.

Pauline Daniels has also revealed she is in the show.

The production, otherwise known as The Girls, is the musical version of Firth’s hit, already a straight stage play and successful film, based on the real life story of the women of the Rylstone and Disctrict WI who decided to pose naked for an ‘Alternative WI’ calendar to raise funds for a sofa in the hospital where one of their member’s husbands was being treated for lymphoma.

The calendar, featuring women going about traditional WI activities in the nude, with discreetly placed props, was a sensation and so far they have raised more than £3m for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

The musical - which garnered rave reviews in the West End - shows life in their Yorkshire village, how the calendar happened, how it affected husbands and children, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.

Barlow and Firth said: “We’re thrilled that the show will be visiting towns and cities up and down the country, so that more people can get a chance to see it and, we hope, also fall in love with The Girls.”

Calendar Girls – the Musical is at the Liverpool Empire from November 27 to December 1. Tickets from the website HERE