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Calamity Jane is on a UK tour right now and we saw it on opening night in Norwich. Find out what we thought of the show at Norwich Theatre Royal.
About the show
Jane is a rollin’ on over the plains to a theatre near you. Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this plumb fancy new production stars the multi-award-winning West End actor and singer Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella, Les Misérables) and begins its UK and Ireland tour at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in January 2025.
Meet the fearless, gun slingin’ Calamity Jane – biggest mouth in Dakota territory and always up for a fight. She’ll charm you hog-eyed though, especially when trying to win the heart of the dashing Lieutenant Gilmartin, or shooting insults at the notorious Wild Bill Hickok. But when the men of Deadwood fall hard for Chicago stage star Adelaid Adams, Calamity struggles to keep her jealousy holstered. Her heart’s a thumpin’… but who for?
With the sure-fire classic songs The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love, The Watermill Theatre’s Production of Calamity Jane, is directed by Nikolai Foster, co directed and choreographed by Nick Winston and features musical supervision by Olivier, Grammy and Tony Award winner Catherine Jayes.
What are you waiting for, you wild coyotes? Whip-crack-away and book now!
Cast
Carrie Hope Fletcher as Calamity Jane
Vinny Coyle as Wild Bill Hickok
Luke Wilson as Danny
Seren Sandham-Davies as Katie Brown
Peter Peverley as Henry Miller
Hollie Cassar as Susan
Samuel Holmes as Francis Fryer
Molly-Grace Cutler as Adelaide Adams
Richard Lock as Rattlesnake
Ben Mabberley as Hank and Stage Door Keeper
Fergus Murphy as Joe and Harry
Tomas Wolstenholme as Buck
Claire Greenway as Doc.
Swings: Emma Jane Morton, Lara Lewis, Jacob Leeson, Theo Diedrick and Stephen Scott Stark.
What we thought of the show
Get ready for a rootin’, tootin’ good time at Calamity Jane this week at Norwich Theatre Royal. Based on the 1953 film of the same name, and loosly based on the real Calamity Jane, is a really fun show and a great one for the whole family.
Set in the gold mining town of Deadwood, Calamity Jane is known for making up a few stories and not being very lady like. When the theatre needs a new act, she promises to bring back someone really famous, but makes a few mistakes along the way.
Having not seen the film or any other stage version of the show before, I was going into this one a bit blind (but that’s something I like doing). I was not expecting an audience sing-a-long within the first few minutes however, this shows just how popular Calamity Jane is and how many die hard fans were in the audience. My husband and I looked at each other thinking, what on Earth is going on! I loved that though!
Although set in a small-ish town, there are some fantastic characters here, including Calamity Jane of course. With someone like Carrie Hope Fletcher playing the role, I had no doubt that she would be fantastic… and she really was. With a voice as great as hers, there wasn’t a sound from the audience during her songs.
Another mention goes to Vinny Coyle as Wild Bill Hickok. The banter between Hickok and Calamity Jane really added a fun element to the show, and although you can see where the plot is going, the journey was enjoyable.
Not getting enough time to shine though was Hollie Cassar as Susan and Samuel Holmes as Francis Fryer. In the few short times on stage together, this comedy duo quickly stole my heart. Their chemistry is believable, both are likeable and Fryer has this something a bit special about him.
Sadly, I think some elements of Calamity Jane could have been changed, to relect a more modern audience. While in keeping with the time the show is set, I didn’t see the need for overly pink decorations to Calamity’s home after the help of Katie Brown. I could have done with a bit less of Wild Bill Hickok constantly commenting on how much unlike a lady Calamity is. Little changes wouldn’t make too much of a difference to the show overall but would be a better way to challenge gender expectations.
Overall though, I had such a great time watching Calamity Jane. This is a show full of fun songs, choreography to make you smile and a whole host of great characters. You’re bound to have a whip crackin’ good time at this one!