GARY BARLOW has revealed details of his new musical based on the story of the Calendar Girls.

The Take That frontman was recently the surprise guest in Burnsall Village Hall as he announced the musical The Girls.

The hall is close to where the story of the Rylstone and District WI, whose nude calendar has raised nearly £4million for Leukaemia Research, began 17 years ago.

Gary said the new show captured both the humour and poignancy of the story, focusing particularly on Yorkshire humour.

He said: “The humour is a coping mechanism for dealing with tragedy, and it was important to get that across in the music.

“When I write albums I want to take people on a journey of emotions and I took the same approach with this show.”

Gary has created the musical, called The Girls, with Tim Firth who wrote the smash-hit Calendar Girls film and play.

The pair, who grew up in the same village in Cheshire, have been working on the show for more than two years.

Gary said: “We always said that for this musical to work, it had to be something we could present in a village hall with just a few people and a piano.

“It’s about the women, but it’s also about their husbands, their children and the wider community

“Their story left a huge legacy, not just in fundraising but in the way charity campaigns are presented. There’s much more of a sense of fun now.”

The Girls will premiere at the Grand Theatre in Leeds on November 14. Call 0844 8482700 to book tickets.