Peterborough Mask Theatre returns to the stage with a celebration of friendship, confidence and bodies of every shape and size – plus a very special calendar of its own.

The hilarious, heart-warming and gloriously cheeky Calendar Girls is being staged at the Ormiston Bushfield Academy theatre from November 18-21.

Based on the remarkable true story of a group of Yorkshire Women’s Institute members who dared to bare for a charity calendar, Calendar Girls is much more than a story about taking your clothes off.

At its heart is a celebration of female friendship, courage, confidence and women’s bodies in all their wonderful shapes and sizes.

placeholder image — The cast in rehearsal

Zoe Bunter, who plays Chris – the bold and funny driving force behind the calendar – hopes audiences might leave with a little more confidence of their own.

“If one person goes away thinking, ‘You know what, I’m actually pretty lovely myself,’ we’ll have given them a really precious gift.”

Of course, celebrating your body is one thing. Taking your clothes off in front of your fellow actors – and eventually a theatre full of people – is quite another. So how exactly do you persuade a cast of local amateur actors to bare all on stage?

According to director Cheryl McGuire, the secret is trust.

“The actors build trust with each other and with me as Director,” explains Cheryl. “The process is handled sensitively and gradually.”

And there is one other, rather important, consideration.

“We make sure the room is warm.”

The story won’t end when the curtain comes down. Peterborough Mask Theatre is partnering with Caring Together, a charity supporting unpaid carers across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, and the company has taken inspiration from the women whose story it is telling by creating its very own charity calendar.

Featuring a host of Mask Theatre members – both men and women – the calendar will be officially unveiled during the run of Calendar Girls and will be available to buy at the performances, raising money for Caring Together.#

The company is currently keeping the photographs under wraps, but is very excited to finally reveal the results to audiences in November.

Tickets from www.seaty.co.uk/maskcg26