Actor’s head shave will boost cancer care

Calendar Girls actor Alan Brooks will have his head shaved this Friday, not only to better portray the leukaemia patient he is acting, but also to raise money for local cancer care charity PALS.

Brooks plays cancer victim John Clark in the highly-anticipated production opening on April 11. 

The public are invited to watch him get the chop at a special fundraising event at Daylesford Theatre this Friday evening at 6:30pm.

Brooks told the Bermuda Sun: “I feel pretty blasé about it really, my wife just thinks ‘oh, he’s doing that sort of thing again’ she is quite used to it, my work colleagues say I’m going to look silly and they won’t work with me looking like that.

“One of the first things I was asked when I was auditioning for the part was whether I was willing to have my head shaved and it struck me that it would make sense. It became apparent through St Baldrick’s which was happening at the time, that we could probably make some sponsorship which is what we have done — the proceeds will stay on island and go towards PALS.”

So far Brooks has raised some $2,500 through family, friends and colleagues.

Asked whether he will cover his head or wear his baldness with pride after the show has finished he said: “I am going to polish my head everyday before I come into work”!

Calendar Girls tells the story of a Women’s Institute group that raises money for a memorial for John (played by Brooks) after he died from his illness. Based on a true story, they come up with the innovative idea to pose naked for a calendar, covering only the essentials, while doing every day tasks like cooking and knitting which raises more money than they could have dreamed of. 

Bermuda’s calendar girls have also posed for a calendar to raise money for three charities — PALS, Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre and Friends of Hospice (Agape House).

To donate to Brook’s cause visit www.pals.bm, click “Make a Donation”, click “Donate” and select “Let me Explain my Donation” in the pull down menu and type Calendar Girls Head Shaving. Alternatively donations can be made at the Daylesford Theatre on Friday evening.