July may well prove to be the standout month in this year's theatrical calendar, as the ever-popular Calendar Girls: The Musical arrives at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. With its unique blend of Yorkshire humour, heartfelt emotion and unforgettably dramatic moments, this latest production is a must-see theatrical treat.

While many musicals rely on glitz, showstoppers and boy-meets-girl themes to make an impression, Calendar Girls tells an intensely personal story while celebrating the extraordinary strength found in ordinary people. Based on the true tale of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute members who bared all for charity following the loss of a friend’s husband, Tim Firth and Gary Barlow’s musical moves seamlessly from laugh-out-loud comedy to moments of genuine poignancy. Warm, witty and emotionally truthful throughout, it captures the resilience of friendship in the face of adversity. The result is a production that is as uplifting as it is deeply moving.

There is also a pleasing sense of homecoming. Firth has long-standing connections with Scarborough and the Stephen Joseph Theatre, making this Yorkshire story's arrival on the in-the-round stage feel particularly fitting, right from the opening number, a lyrical paean to God’s Own Country, which is reprised at intervals.

One of the biggest talking points is that this is the first time the show has been staged in the round, and indeed much of the anticipation centred on the one obvious question of how on earth would they manage the famous calendar scene with the audience surrounding the action? It seemed an almost impossible theatrical challenge - after all, there would surely be nowhere to hide.

If you want to know exactly how it is achieved, delightfully and ingeniously, you'll simply have to see it for yourself. Suffice it to say the ever-dexterous director, Paul Robinson, handles all with creativity, precision and perfect comic judgement, everything in the very best possible taste. Far from presenting an obstacle, the 360-degree staging becomes one of the production's greatest strengths. The audience are drawn into the action, feeling less like observers and more like members of the community gathered around these amazingly spirited women.

Robinson, as usual, makes excellent use of every corner of the space, without masking any of the actors even when all 15 are assembled. Even at its most thronged, the staging remains dynamic, never losing its intimacy, allowing conversations and relationships to be immediate and personal, reflecting the sense of community that lies at the heart of the story.

Above all, of course, the success of the show rests on its ensemble cast, and it would be a disservice to single out individual performers from such an accomplished and tight-knit group of actor-singer-musicians, no matter how hard it is to resist the temptation, but there are some stellar performances.

The balance between dialogue and song is judged beautifully. In an era when many musicals seem determined to communicate almost everything through music, Calendar Girls allows emotion to ebb and flow through a virtually continuous stream of conversation, recitative and song. Each song - and there are 16 of them - in Barlow’s intentionally understated and really rather beautiful score illuminates character, furthers the narrative and deepens our understanding of relationships, sometimes troubled, often tenderly touching, at the story's heart. Nowhere is this more evident than in Scarborough, a song of quiet reflection and loss, sung by the grieving Annie (Christina Meehan), which captures the show's emotional core with remarkable delicacy. Poignant too is What Age Expects of You, delivered by the oldest lady, retired teacher Jessica (Fenella Norman). Elsewhere, Barlow and Firth ensure that most of the principal characters are given their moment to vocally shine, as in the irrepressible humour of Who Wants A Silent Night?, the chorus led by Cora (Alicia McKenzie) - and the emotional force of Sunflower, sung by Chris (Karen Holmes) - the defiant So I've Had a Little Work Done, from former air hostess, Celia (Pippa Duffy) about her Botox - and not least the riotously funny My Russian Friend and I, in praise of the vodka Ruth (Annie Kirkman) needs to knock back before disrobing.

A special word should be given to the local youth players - Will Ireland, Robyn Chambers and Jack Pickering in this performance - who form a sort of sub-plot. That they avoid becoming stereotypes, reflects well on their burgeoning acting skills and Firth's keen ear for dialogue and sharp understanding of family relationships and community dynamics.

One of the great strengths of the play comes through perhaps most strongly in its exploration of grief. The scenes surrounding John's illness and its aftermath are handled with admirable restraint, allowing the emotion to emerge naturally rather than relying on the sentimentality we see in so many musicals. As a result, the quieter moments often prove every bit as powerful as the funniest ones and indeed act as their foil. How marvellous, by the way, to see a play set in Yorkshire - in the heart of the Dales, no less - without any of the condescending ee-bah-gumming, flatcapping and Seth Armstronging!

The climactic calendar photo shoot – perhaps the moment audiences have been waiting for all evening - is as already suggested a triumph of imagination and theatrical ingenuity. Expertly choreographed by Stephanie Dattani and staged with wit, warmth and impeccable comic timing, it transforms what could have been an awkward theatrical obstacle into one of the production's most memorable sequences. Full of surprises and provocative of some near hysterical laughter, it never loses sight of the dignity, courage and purpose behind the women's actions.

Visually, the production complements the story perfectly, creating in various ways a recognisable Yorkshire setting that feels both familiar and authentic. Costume choices help ground the narrative in the everyday world of the Women's Institute, allowing the extraordinary nature of the women's achievement to emerge naturally from ordinary surroundings.

Beneath the comedy sits a touching exploration of ordinary people doing something extraordinary for the sake of friendship and community. It celebrates courage in its many forms - not only the bravery required to appear in the calendar but also the strength needed to face loss, embrace change and support those we love.

By the final ‘curtain’ there were almost as many tears as smiles among the audience. (One teenage girl near me was actually dabbing her eyes.) Funny, uplifting and deeply moving, this production of Calendar Girls: The Musical is theatre for the modern age, with heart, humour and humanity in abundance. It ends with a cracker, by the way!

Neil Sedaka famously sang about his beloved Calendar Girl, but had he been sitting in the Stephen Joseph Theatre, he'd have been positively spoilt for choice. Though not conventionally beautiful, they are all beautifully representative of real people and form a remarkable ensemble, proving that friendship, courage and a generous helping of Yorkshire grit never go out of fashion.

One of the theatrical highlights of the summer – if not the calendar year - and a reminder of why live theatre remains one of the most rewarding shared experiences.

from left, Karen Holmes, Pippa Duffy, Matt Heslop, Alicia McKenzie (back to camera) Photo: Tony Bartholomew©

Calendar Girls: The Musical runs at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough until 25 July, before transferring to Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (6 August–5 September), the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (10–26 September), and the Octagon Theatre, Bolton (8–31 October).