I want to get back into the habit of posting the occasional review here, because there’s so much awesome stuff around. I was gonna say “and I want you to have a chance to see/do these things too”, but I suspect in a lot of cases it’s going to be plays, gigs, lectures and one-off events, so I guess it would be more accurate to add “and I want you to know how much fun I had”.

So, to start with, I took my sister and her boyfriend to Leeds on the 10th to see Calendar Girls at the Grand Theatre and Opera House.

First, I want to say something about the theatre. I went there last year (or the year before?) to see Quadrophenia, so I knew what to expect, but it’s still a gloriously overblown and ridiculously ornate venue. It’s like a Victorian designer explodedwith glee in there. The sworls. The columns. The chandeliers. And, as this photo implies, the sloping seats. If you do visit the Grand, it’s worth forking out for a seat somewhere in the middle. The view was fine at the end of the row, but it’s a little disconcerting when your right side is noticably lower than your left.

In comparison to the venue, the staging of the play was very simple. The action was whittled down to two settings: the village hall, and a hill nearby. In some cases it stretched credulity (why would they film an advert in a village hall?), but for the most part it worked well.

Though the posters implied a slightly larger cast (nine in total) it didn’t suffer for having fewer. In fact, I wonder how it would work with a larger cast, since every line was a gem of characterisation. The ‘big names’ in the production I saw were Lisa Riley and Bernie Nolan, though I recognised some of the other actresses as well. The casting was faultless and the acting brilliant. The paths the characters travelled were realistic without being predictable (though having seen the film, I did know where it was going) and the dialogue was spot on.

Something I noticed as the play wore on was the effect it had on the audience. What makes you applaud during a play? A witty line? A heartrending song? In Calendar Girls, the audience applauded to show polite, but heartful, approval. Not of the acting, not of the writing or direction, but of the sentiments expressed. The audience, in short, applauded like they were actually members of the WI attending a meeting. And it was charming!

And ‘charming’ is the best word for this play. It’s powerful and bittersweet and heartwarming and so, so, British. If it comes to a theatre near you I thoroughly recommend it. It’ll restore your faith in humanity without drowning you in saccharine sentiments.