Calendar Girls Cast

 

Claire Govier plays Chris, the feisty florist who persuades the Knapeley WI to produce a daring calendar to raise funds to buy a new sofa for the relatives’ room at the local hospital. Claire is a Dental Nurse at Dulverton Dental surgery and glorified maid to her family. This will be her debut with the Players, but has graced the stage with Young Farmers and as “Simply Simon” in “Jack and the Beanstalk”; (many thought this was typecast!) Of Chris she comments, “She has a sparkling personality, which affects everyone around her and a friendship with Annie that I would covet myself.”

 

Tamsin Blackmore plays Annie who loses her beloved husband, John, to cancer. The calendar is dedicated to his memory. Tamsin joined the Players in 2012 with only school play experience of acting. She appeared in ““Black Comedy” as a tart, “Cinderella” as a punk fairy, and mysteriously died in church during the “Murder at the Marriage”. Once raised from the dead she is a mother of two and a part- time infant teacher. As Annie in ““Calendar Girls”, she hopes that she can play the part with the right amount of humour and sensitivity.

Carol Jones plays Celia, a glamorous trophy wife who spends more time at the nineteenth hole than on the course at the local golf club. Carol, who works at Woods restaurant just a couple of doors from the stage at the Town Hall, stunned audiences in April as a beautiful “Cinderella”. Here she moves effortlessly from playing the innocent fairytale princess to the hard-edged, hard-living Celia.

 

Debbie Wright plays Ruth, one of life’s doormats on whom her cheating husband Eddie, and Marie, the WI Chair, enjoy wiping their feet. A dental practice manager in Dulverton, Debbie has been involved with the Dulverton Players for many years and is best remembered for her part in the risqué “Flying Feathers”. Since then she has helped back stage and front of house. She thinks playing Ruth will be a lot of fun, bringing Ruth out of her shell to become a confident woman.

Ginny Brown plays Jessie, the retired schoolteacher who gives her former pupils a completely new view of herself in more ways than one. Ginny is a retired working saddler who joined the Players in 2012. She was memorably poisonous as the stepmother in “Cinderella”, and the weepy bride’s mother in “Murder at the Marriage”. The part of Jessie will be testing, requiring a senior citizen to live somewhat dangerously!

Banger Milton plays Cora, the single-mother daughter of the local vicar who has spent her life living down her early social disgrace. Banger claims never to have had a “proper job” but few would agree. She is married to an Exmoor farmer, runs a B&B, has four children, is a part-time teacher of piano and singing, and is joint-master of the Dulverton Farmers’ foxhounds.

Suzy Wall plays Marie, the social climbing Chair of the Knapeley WI, who has never recovered from living in uber-smart Cheshire. Suzy is a long standing member of the Dulverton Players, first appearing in 1992 as Cecily in “The Importance of Being Earnest”. She has been in several Dulverton Players’ productions, enjoying most playing a dominatrix in “Communicating Doors”. Playing the Chair of the WI is, therefore, a bit of a contrast but huge fun none the less. The rest of the time Suzy is often found working in the Dulverton bookshop.

 

Kate Ansell plays Elaine, a beautician. Kate is a student at the West Somerset Community College who enjoys drama, singing, and horses. She has been with the Dulverton Players since 2010. Kate has been in two “Murder Mysteries”, and also sang a memorable solo as a fairy in “Cinderella”, but is looking forward to a more adult dramatic role as Elaine.

Mary McMichael plays Brenda, a roving lecturer on such fascinating topics as “The History of the Tea Towel” and “Broccoli”. Originally imported from Australia, she will be playing her first ever role. She hopes to keep up the family tradition of famous Player husband, Philip Jones.

 

Gwenda Bassett plays Lady Cravenshire, the WI bigwig. Gwenda is a well-known riding instructor and trainer, as well as an expert in massage and reflexology. All that dressage should give Gwenda, in her first ever role, the right posture for her ladyship, but she promises that aristocratic hauteur is only play acting.

 

Antony Bartlett plays Lawrence, the hospital porter who photographs the calendar. An 18 year old student, he has just finished his A-Levels at West Somerset Community College where his studies included Drama. He is continuing his education by training as a Youth Worker. He has appeared as Fizzy in “Bugsy Malone”, and most recently as Buttons in the Players’ “Cinderella”. Playing Lawrence will see him again step onto the stage as the nervous, yet enthusiastic, character of the production.

Alan Marks plays Rod, the beer-swilling husband of Chris. During the day Alan is employed to sit in front of a computer. At night he has been moonlighting at with the Dulverton Players since 2006. He has been involved in most of the productions since, acting, writing, directing, working back stage, and set building. He is glad that with the influx of new members, at 28 yrs old he is no longer the youngest member of the Players.

Charlie Blanning plays John, Annie’s dying husband, and later Liam, a film producer. In the very distant past an English & Drama teacher, Charlie joined the Players in 2012, and has appeared in ““Black Comedy””, “Cinderella”, and “Murder at the Marriage”. He is faced with the emotional leap between playing the saintly John Clarke in Act I and after the interval the world-weary Liam.

Co-director Marion Silverlock. A retired education officer, regional education adviser and JP, she is now Company Secretary for the family regeneration and training business. She first directed for the Players in the 1970s three biting comedies: “The Anniversary”, “Say Goodnight to Grandma”, and “The Killing of Sister George”. After a forty year break she returned with a comedy set in a brothel, and then directed “An Inspector Calls” and “Black Comedy” with John Thorogood. In April she partnered Suzanne Thompson in directing “Cinderella”.

Co-director John Thorogood was a teacher of children with special needs for twenty years before ordination. His love of amateur dramatics grew whilst taking part in staff and student plays and musicals. As vicar of Dulverton, he has his own stage with weekly performances, but both in Dulverton, and previously at Evercreech, he has enjoyed working alongside other enthusiasts. “Calendar Girls” is a special challenge touching, as it does, on the sensitive area of terminal cancer.

Producer, Christine Dubery, is Dulverton’s First Lady. From her command centre at the Post Office, she is involved in the town council, cricket and netball teams, ballroom dancing – the list is endless – as well as acting as treasurer of the Players. Without Christine the Players wouldn’t play.