I saw Maureen Nolan in Gary Barlow's Calendar Girls in Blackpool with Laurie Brett and Samantha Seagar

Most people have heard of Calendar Girls but the emotional and feel good tale is still one of the best.

As I took my seat at Blackpool's Winter Gardens I was excited to see what Take That's Gary Barlow had done with the show.

As I looked around I was pleased to see Blackpool's famous sisters Denise and Linda Nolan in the crowd with lots of their family and friends, ready to cheer on Maureen who played Ruth.

As the curtain lifted I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the set. For those who don't know the play is set in a rural community centre so it could be hard to make visually ebntertaining. But here the clever depth perception and scenes from the centre's window's really added a little extra.

The show is about a group of ordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women’s Institute who are prompted to do an extraordinary thing and set about creating a nude calendar to raise money for charity after one of their members loses her husband. 

READ MORE:

Calendar Girls comes to Blackpool: I chat to one of the leading ladies, Samantha Seager

The cast was second to none. Former Eastenders star Laurie Brett played Annie, former Coronation Street star Samantha Seager, former Hollyoakes star Helen Pearson, Foyles War star Honeysuckle Weeks and of course Blackpool's own Maureen Nolan.

When it came to Maureen Nolan's solo - her family and friends - lifted the roof in appreciation as she sung about leaning on her 'little Russian friend' to give her confidence.

The crowd really felt for the cast in the moments before they stripped off and used applause to malk their bravery.

Overall, this feel good and motivational musical will make you feel like skipping out and joining the WI.

A great way to spend an evening and definitely worth the watch.

Calendar Girls the Musical runs until Saturday, January 27.

For tickets or more information visit the Winter Gardens Box Office here.