Calendar Girls opens in Carlisle

The stage show, Calendar Girls, has opened in Carlisle.

The true story is about a group of women who try to do something different to raise some money for leukaemia research after one of their husbands died from the disease.

What they actually ended up doing was extraordinary. The women - all members of the WI - posed nude for the annual WI calendar. Their calendar and their story has gone on to raise millions of pounds for the cancer charity.

Thier story went world wide and a film was even made bu now the stage version of the 11 inspirational women has made more at the box officer than the film.

The cast in the show at the Sands centre in Carlisle includes Lesley Joseph, best known for her role as Dorien Green from Birds of a feather, Ruth Madoc - Gladys in Hi-de-Hi and Sue Holderness who played Marleen in Only Fools and Horses.

ITV Border' Marti Errington-Dodds caught up with the women.

Lesley Joseph began by trying to explain why the stage show is so successful.

Sue Holderness explained how well choreographed the show is so that actually the audience don't see as much as they think they do, but the initial shock of having to get naked in front of practical strangers was difficult.

Ruth Madoc explained that the writing for the play is very good which for her is one of the biggest reasons for it's success and she agreed the story has done an awful lot for the image of the WI.She goes on to say how each of the cast members get on so well and have formed a kind of comradeship.

This is the full report for ITV Border: