The upcoming tour of Calendar Girls The Musical, by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, has revealed that Lesley Joseph will join the cast.
Lesley Joseph, best known for playing Dorien Green in the ITV sitcom Birds of a Feather, will play Jessie in the musical, which is based on a true story.
She will join the tour from 23rd April in Southend and will continue in the role until 10th August in Eastborune, when Ruth Madoc will retrun to the role.
The production opened in Dartford this month and is currently touring until November, however more tour dates and venues are expected to be added.
Lesley Joseph: a star of stage and screen
Lesley has a wealth of theatrical experience to her credit. Most recently she starred as Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Garrick Theatre, a role which earned her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.
Her other notable theatre credits include Miss Hannigan in Annie (West End and UK tour), Chris in the play of Calendar Girls (UK tour), The Vagina Monologues (West End and UK tour), and Kathleen in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Home (Theatre Royal Bath).
On television, Lesley played Rachel Culgrin in ITV’s Night and Day for nearly two years. Other TV appearances include Easy Money, Spywatch, Minder, Roots, and The Knowledge to name a few.
Lesley has also appeared on entertainment shows, including the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 when she was partnered with Anton du Beke.
She joins the previously announced cast starring Sarah Jane Buckley (Kathy Barnes in Hollyoaks) as Annie, Sue Devaney (Jane in Dinnerladies) as Cora, Julia Hills (Doctor Kemp in Broadchurch) as Ruth, Judy Holt (Cold Feet, Scott & Bailey) as Marie and Lisa Maxwell (Loose Women) as Celia.
Where will the show visit?
- Cliffs Pavilion, Southend: 23rd – 27th April
- Wales Millennium Centre: 30th April – 11th May
- Grand Opera House, Belfast: 14th – 25th May
- Birmingham Hippodrome: 28th May – 8th June
- Glasgow King’s Theatre: 11th – 22nd June
- Theatre Royal, Nottingham: 25th June – 6th July
- Bristol Hippodrome: 9th – 20th July
- Theatre Royal Plymouth: 23rd July – 3rd August
- Congress Theatre, Eastbourne: 6th – 10th August
- Bournemouth Pavilion: 17th – 21st September
- Wolverhampton Grand: 24th – 28th September
- New Wimbledon Theatre: 1st – 5th October
- Royal & Derngate Northampton: 8th – 12th October
- Blackpool Opera House: 15th – 19th October
- Ipswich Regent Theatre: 22nd – 26th October
- Chester Storyhouse: 29th October – 2nd November
- Theatre Royal Bath: 5th – 9th November
- Chichester Festival Theatre: 12th – 23rd November
For more information, visit www.calendargirlsthemusical.com.
About Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls The Musical is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise.
This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.
