With a new cast featuring Birds of a Feather star Lesley Joseph and Loose Women’s Lisa Maxwell, Calendar Girls The Musical opened at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on April 30.

The hilarious and touching true story of the Yorkshire WI women, who created a cheeky naked calendar to raise funds for a cancer ward, is brought to life in this modern musical.

Written by Take That’s Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, who wrote the screenplay for the film Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, the show captures the nation’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humour from start to finish.

The plot is well-paced, with the events and drama all coming from recognisable and relatable issues the characters face: cancer, grief, marriage and rebellious children.

This realism is part of the show’s strength and makes it more riveting – a nod to the true story the musical is based on.

The laughs are constant and the cast – particularly Rebecca Storm as Chris and Sue Devaney as Cora – keep the tone constantly fresh and their comedic prowess enlivens both the script and the theatre’s atmosphere.

Isabel Caswell as Jenny and Danny Howker as Danny are both brilliant in their portrayal of youthful flirtation and banter.

A highlight is the highly anticipated photoshoot for the calendar, with well-placed props, unabashed nudity and incredible facial expressions from the cast leaving the audience screaming with laughter.

Most of the musical numbers are extremely catchy and help convey the emotion of each character throughout the show.

The second half is particularly daring, cheeky and surprisingly upbeat despite the sad circumstances but the well-deserved standing ovation at the end spoke volumes.

Calendar Girls The Musical will leave you with warmth, a full heart and some very quotable one-liners.

You can catch the girls at Wales Millennium Centre until May 11.