Gary Barlow's musical based on The Calendar Girls will have its world premiere in Leeds.

The Girls, created by Gary and his friend Tim Firth, who adapted Calendar Girls into the stage show, will enjoy its debut at the Grand Theatre, Leeds, from Saturday November 14 to Saturday December 12.

The Take That frontman has teamed up with Tim to give a musical makeover to the heartwarming story of 11 members of the Women's Institute in Rylstone, North Yorkshire, who made an artfully nude charity calendar in 1999 following the death of Angela Baker's husband John from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The original calendar featured the women posing nude behind strategically placed baked goods and flower arrangements.

Their efforts inspired an hit movie starring Julie Walters and Helen Mirren, and a stage show.

Gary and Tim stunned an audience attending a rehearsal of the show at the village hall in Burnsall, North Yorkshire, including the original Calendar Girls, by announcing the premiere at the Grand followed by a run at The Lowry in Manchester.

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It will raise funds for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

They said: "We are over the moon with the reception our new musical The Girls has had here in Burnsall and to have received the ecstatic blessing of the original Calendar Girls is something that is so so special to us."

Gary and Tim said, "We are over the moon with the reception our new musical The Girls has had here in Burnsall, and to have received the ecstatic blessing of the original Calendar Girls is something that is so special to us. We look forward to its world premiere on November 14 at the Leeds Grand Theatre."

The 2003 award-winning film was adapted into a stage play in 2008 and went on to have a lengthy national tour with various changes in the main cast.

This is the second musical score to be written by the six times Ivor Novello Award winner.

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth
Gary Barlow and Tim Firth


The 44-year-old Back For Good singer has also penned the music and lyrics for a reworked version of the musical Finding Neverland with his songwriting partner Eliot Kennedy. The musical is based on Finding Neverland, the 2004 American movie about playwright J. M. Barrie and his relationship with the family who inspired him to create Peter Pan, and stars Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

The new musical starring Glee actor Matthew Morrison officially opens on Broadway on April 15.

Next month the three remaining Take That members - Gary, Mark Owen and Howard Donald - will embark on a huge arena tour starting in Glasgow which brings them to Manchester for a nine night residency in May and June. They will also perform at Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena on June 1 and 2.

The Girls is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Saturday November 14th to Saturday December 12th.

Tickets are on sale now priced from £10 to £45.

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700.