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Over on the BBC’s official Archers FB page, plenty of people are saying they enjoyed ‘Calendar Girls’, and the dissenting views are in the minority. Personally, I enjoyed it very much too. And the (more or less) annual ‘Lynda’s show’ story-line is one of my favourites.
I have to say I enjoyed it too. I saw it as very much removed from The Archers generally – there was the story about the build-up to it but when the play itself was broadcast I kind of forgot I was listening to anything Archers-related, other than the fact that some of the voices were familiar. As a play generally, I’m not sure it totally worked on the radio but that’s no fault of the actors – it’s just quite a visual thing. Personally I was recalling the film all the way through!
I agree with Sara.
Pantomime isn’t really my thing and Linda’s “schtick” of turning into an overweening writer/director wears thin year on year, so a few snippets heard during the usual Christmas week episodes was just about tolerable and amusing.
I was underwhelmed by “Blithe Spirit” last year and still can’t quite get to the end of “Calendar Girls”. I listened for an hour and had had enough. Like Sara, I’m not sure it worked because of the nudity – or visual lack of it on radio. You can get away with all sorts on radio (but not bad voice acting). I haven’t seen the film or the stage production but I wonder if it’s been done as a radio play before? I thought it wasn’t very good. The script didn’t engage me and felt flat. It was a bit “meta” with professional actors playing their roles in The Archers as amateur actors playing their roles in “Calendar Girls”. And the accents were grating and unconvincing. So I probably won’t go back and listen to the end of it.
I’m beginning to dread next year’s effort already …
I agree with Samantha and like the yearly tradition of Linda choosing a show, fretting about it, trying to corral the usual village suspects into participating, and putting it together (to use a Sondheim line). I do see the last two year’s broadcast performances as something of stand alones, separate from The Archers itself. I look forward to next year’s-someone suggested The Vagina Monologues-that would be interesting!
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