The Girls sets West End closing date at Phoenix Theatre

London engagement to close on 15 July 2017 ahead of a UK Tour

Producers of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's musical The Girls have announced that the show will play its final West End performance at the Phoenix Theatre on 15 July 2017. The happier news is that a 42-venue UK tour will launch on 15 August 2018, opening at the Leeds Grand Theatre in Yorkshire - the home county of the original Calendar Girls.

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth released a statement saying: "We are delighted with the reception our musical has received in Leeds, Manchester and now London, and are thrilled that the show will be visiting towns and cities up and down the country, so that more people can get a chance to see it and, we hope, will also fall in love with The Girls."

Based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, The Girls officially opened in the West End on 21 February 2017 following previews from 28 January and staged previous runs at the Grand Theatre in Leeds and at The Lowry in Salford. The show was met with positive reviews in London, including a five-star review from London Theatre: "a new British musical that doesn't just sing but also soars"

The cast of The Girls features Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sophie-Louise Dann as Celia, Michele Dotrice as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris, Joanna Riding as Annie, Joe Caffrey as Rod, Jeremy Clyde as Denis, John Davitt as Doctor, Soo Drouet as Brenda, James Gaddas as John, Jenny Gayner as Miss Wilson (coffee), Steve Giles as Lawrence, Maxwell Hutcheon as Colin, Shirley Jameson as Miss Wilson (tea), Marian McLoughlin as Marie, Judith Street as Lady Cravenshire, Jane Lambert, Rebecca Louis, Victoria Blackburn, Frazer Hadfield, Josh Benson, Ben Hunter and Chloe May Jackson.

The musical is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women's Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise. This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.

Directed by Tim Firth with musical staging by Lizzi Gee and comedy staging by Jos Houben it features design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster and musical direction and orchestrations by Richard Beadle. It is produced in the West End by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and The Shubert Organization.

The Girls tickets for the remainder of the West End run are available now.