The naked charity calendar is something of a well-worn cliche these days, as well as a successful fund-raising stunt.

However, it is easy to forget how novel the idea was, that ladies from a small branch of the Women’s Institute would strip off and hide their modesty behind their knitting and cupcakes to produce a calendar that has since raised millions for charity.

Next week there will be a chance to relive the original Calendar Girls, when the story of the ladies from the village of Knapely will be brought to the Gaiety Theatre stage next week.

The all-local production of Calendar Girls opens on Tuesday, August 25, and is the brainchild of Stephanie Gray, who also stars as Annie Clarke, whose husband’s battle with cancer inspired the calender.

Also starring are Lisa Dancox, Gemma Quilliam, Gill Buchanan, Kathryn Cawte and Sophie Rudge as the ladies who join Annie in tastefully stripping off and baring all for the camera.

The play is directed by Ben Heath and also stars Susie Beswick, Howard Caine, Simon Fletcher, Lyndsay Quayle, Lorcan O’Mahoney, Michelle James, Gary Chatel and Sonia Callin, who helped bring the play to the stage.

Sonia said that they were driven to produce the show when the lockdown ended across the island in mid-June.

The restrictions initially caused all local theatre productions to be cancelled and, with no live theatre shows scheduled to appear at the theatre, they decided to quickly put the show together.

’It was just over seven weeks ago that we thought about doing the play, very soon after things opened up,’ said Sonia.

’Stephanie had been wanting to do the play anyway for some time and it just went from there.

’We just thought that, while we have got this time, that we are free to move around, let’s do it. Let’s go for it.

’It is amazing too because people have just pulled together to make it happen. There is a big community feel to this play, thanks to the work and the effort put in by everyone.

’The people we asked just jumped at the chance to be part of it.’

The play is based on the famous 2003 film, which starred Helen Mirren and Julie Walters and followed the ladies as they shed their inhibitions and embraced an idea which brought them closer as a group.

’We decided to do what the Calendar Girls themselves did, and just grabbed the opportunity when it came along,’ said Sonia.

’Its a great story and one that is very funny and full of humour. It’s also very poignant in the way that it deals with loss and friendship and also the depth of friendships when everything goes wrong.

’And also about people releasing and conquering their inhibitions by doing something that they wouldn’t have never normally done before.

’We’ve ended up putting on this play which, because of everything that is going on elsewhere, is the only place in the British isles where you can watch live theatre indoors,’ she continued.

’The fact that we believe it is possible that we are the only play that is being performed anywhere with a full audience with no restrictions, is quite incredible. It is a privilege really, I think, and one that you can’t take for granted either.’

Tickets for Calendar Girls, which runs until Saturday, August 29, are priced from £17.50, with £16 for seniors and under-16s, available from the Welcome Centre and the Villa Gaiety box office on 600555 and online from villagaiety.com

by Mike Wade

Twitter:@iomnewspapers