Stage Door Entertainment’s ‘Calendar Girls’ is finally set to take to the stage at the Gaiety Theatre on Thursday after ‘hilarious and manic’ rehearsals.

The unique production of the hit 2003 film starring Helen Mirren will be shown four times between Thursday, May 29 and Saturday, May 31 - three showings at 7.30pm on each day and a captioned matinee performance on the Saturday at 2pm.

The show follows the true story of a group of women in a small Yorkshire Women’s Institute who, following the death of a much loved husband, set about creating a nude calendar to raise money for charity.

Talking about the preparations for the show since the turn of the year, producer Lisa Kreisky said: ‘Rehearsals have been hilarious and a little manic!

‘We are in the final stages now, where cast and crew are coming together to create the magic. There is an incredible sense of camaraderie, knowing we have something truly special to share with an audience. It’s exciting and a little terrifying.

‘We are lucky enough to have a director, Peter Shimmin, who allows us to play around with the characters and staging, so we are constantly finding new ways to bring the story to life.

‘Some of the staging, especially for the “naked” scene, probably won’t be finalised until we get into the theatre, as the main set and props are coming from the UK on the week of the show.

‘This is what makes live theatre so exciting.’

The inspiration to take on the adaptation came from Calendar Girls producer and Stage Door member Krissy Wilson, whose husband Chris was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2022.

All proceeds from the show will be donated to the to ‘The BIG Manx Community Charity’, who will give it directly to those affected by cancer - whether they are living with the disease or nearing the end of their lives.

Asked how much they hope to raise, Lisa said: ‘As much as is humanly possible!

‘We have scrimped, saved and called in favours from family and friends. Plus, our amazing sponsors have been incredibly generous.

‘With all that in mind plus the tickets sales, the BIG Manx Community Charity should be able to make a huge difference and help a lot of people in the Isle of Man.’

The cast of Calendar Girls have also raised money by selling their own ‘nude’ calendars, with 180 of these being purchased since they went on sale at the end of last year.

‘There are a lot of naked Manx ladies on walls around the island right now,’ Lisa added.

To find out more and purchase tickets for Calendar Girls (priced at £25), you can do so by visiting https://www.villagaiety.com/whats-on/calendar-girls-the-musical/

Asked what people can expect from the show, Lisa said: ‘A rollercoaster of a show - belly laughs, heartbreak and full on high energy Gary Barlow musical magic.

‘Plus an all local cast, most of whom get their kits off for a great cause!’