STOCKTON Heath playwright Tim Firth has teamed up with Gary Barlow to revisit his world famous play, Calendar Girls.

Tim and the Take That singer have created a new musical adaptation of the story called The Girls.

The pair, who met in Frodsham and have been friends for 25 years, made the announcement on Sunday at Burnsall Village Hall in North Yorkshire where the true story originally unfolded.

At the exclusive event they gave a reading of the musical in front of the original 'Calendar Girls', industry professionals and residents.

But fans will have to wait a good while longer before they see The Girls on stage. It premieres at The Lowry between January 13 and 30.

Tim and Gary said: "We are over the moon with the reception our new musical The Girls has had in Burnsall, and to have received the ecstatic blessing of the original Calendar Girls is something that is so so special to us.

"We look forward to its world premiere."

Former Stockton Heath Primary School pupil Tim had his big break in 2003 with Calendar Girls.

It is about a group of women who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their hospital, in memory of one of their husbands.

This new musical comedy version will show how it happened, the effect on their husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary women achieved something extraordinary.

The Calendar Girls film, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, became a sensation, climbing to number one in the UK and becoming the seventh most successful British film of all time.

Tim went on to win the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.

And he was even in the audience when his mum Kathy appeared in the Stockton Heath Methodist Drama Society version.

Tim followed up Calendar Girls with Kinky Boots and he penned the screenplay for Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and The Wedding Video with Peep Show’s Robert Webb.

The Girls will be directed by Tim and Roger Haines and produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.

Tim and Gary's team also includes set design by Rob Jones, comedy staging by Jos Houben, lighting design by Tim Lutkin and sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster.

A donation will be made to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research as part of the production.

Tickets for The Girls are on sale now. Visit thelowry.com/event/the-girls or call the box office on 0843 208 6000.

DAVID MORGAN