Calendar Girls, Portchester Players, Ashcroft Arts Centre (From Daily Echo)
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Calendar Girls, Portchester Players, Ashcroft Arts Centre
11:20am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in Curtain Call By Jim Rumsey
A LIVELY cast did credit to this first-rate play.
To raise money for a better settee for a chemotherapy ward, a local Yorkshire WI decide to pose for a saucy calendar (‘nude not naked’). John (Graham Robertson) whose death sparks the idea was movingly portrayed in stages of health decline.
The ladies were led by widow Annie (a reticent Teresa Murphy) and fun-loving Chris (Jacqueline Arnott). Bolshie ex-teacher Jessie (Myra Jones) made full use of her role and sexy Celia (Peta Reading) caught the spirit of things exactly. Cora (Nikki Spurgeon) and Ruth (Nikki Wiscarson) completed the fine performances of the WI ‘girls’.
Marie (Rebecca James) was an archetypal snobbish WI leader and Lawrence (Chris Hunter) made the most of his awkward situation as the photographer.
The sound effects (James Brett) were all spot-on.
All the cast gave convincing performances which should have made director Kay Sumpner proud.
