IT's not every day you see half a dozen women strip almost completely on stage - and hats off to the ladies of Blackwood Little Theatre for their bravery in undressing for this production of Calendar Girls.

They are the first amateur group in Wales to ever perform this play, and the choice has proved to be a huge success - as they have been performing to full houses all week.

Frankie Baskerville, Gwen Livingstone, Shelley Bethan Morgan, Ros Grummitt, Yve Price and Sarah Jones are the members of a Yorkshire WI who decide to produce a nude calendar featuring themselves, to raise money for a local hospital after one of their husbands dies of leukaemia.

The scenes where they bare almost all - with just a few props such as oranges, cakes and flowers to protect their modesty - are both hilarious and very well directed by Peta Maidman.

Their calendar proves an unprecedented hit and sells so many that it massively exceeds its target. And the scenes where the women read the letters from their supporters, saying the calendar has helped them laugh for the first time since they lost a loved one, are extremely moving and a highlight of his production.

There are also very sound performances from Bleddyn Jones as the dying husband, Matthew Oliver as the lucky photographer, and Christopher T.Harris as Liam, the bossy news reporter.

Overall it is a truly enjoyable evening, great fun with an important message - and the opening night's profits are being donated to four local cancer charities. A 2013 calendar with pictures of the production has also been printed and is on sale at the theatre - some of hteprofits from this are also being donated to the charities.

The play runs until Saturday, but it is return tickets only now.