With a full auditorium, Calamity Jane opens with the audience humming along to a familiar tune. Based on the Doris Day movie, this show follows Calamity Jane, a tough and fearless character who keeps order in Deadwood and who becomes responsible for an irksome case of mistaken identities.
The action is set mainly in the saloon with the addition of a second proscenium arch towards the back adding a sense of depth.

The staging is inventive, doubling up for other locations, especially during the stagecoach scenes where the ensemble members with the creative use of some chairs and a piano become part of the vehicle itself.
A highlight of this production is that a significant portion of the music is played live by the cast themselves. Particular mention must be made of the musicians who play brass instruments and manage to dance at the same time!

A couple of new songs have been added. Men! Gets a laugh and features Calamity (Carrie Hope-Fletcher) ribbing the opposite sex and adjusting the balance of the feminine ideals she faces. ‘Careless With The Truth’ repealed throughout the show is amusing and reinforces Calamity’s taste for self-aggrandizing.

The large cast of eighteen give a good solid performance, with Carrie Hope Fletcher shining in the title role. She’s ably supported by Vinny Coyle as her suitor, Wild Bill Hickock who brings charm and gravitas to his role. The comedy stand-out is Samuel Holmes as Francis Fryer (an actor who has mistakenly been hired to be the female star on stage). He is a real physical comedy star with impeccable comic timing, dressing in drag to fool the crowd.

Special mention must also be made of Seren Sandham-Davies who is exceptional as Katie Brown.

The choreography from co-director Nick Winston is also strong, particularly the ensemble numbers with a lot of variation, including tap and square dancing even finishing with a Hoe Down.

Calamity Jane is a product of its time, a little old-fashioned, but there’s a lot to love, and the cast gives it their all. The audience was tapping their toes and still humming on their way home.

4 stars.

Calamity Jane at the New Wimbleon Theatre Tuesday 13th May –  Saturday 17 May, and then continues on tour until Saturday 27 September.

Tickets for Calamity Jane are available at the link below

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/calamity-jane/new-wimbledon-theatre

CAST
Carrie Hope Fletcher – Calamity Jane
Vinny Coyle – Wild Bill Hickok
Luke Wilson – Danny Gilmartin
Seren Sandham-Davies – Katie Brown
Peter Peverley – Henry Miller
Hollie Cassar – Susan
Samuel Holmes – Francis Fryer
Molly-Grace Cutler – Adelaide Adams
Richard Lock – Rattlesnake
Ben Mabberley – Hank & Stage Door Keeper
Fergus Murphy – Joe & Harry
Tomas Wolstenholme – Buck
Claire Greenway – Doc
Lara Lewis, Emma Jane Morton, Theo Diedrick, Jacob Leeson, Stephen Scott Stark – Swings
CREATIVES
Original Director – Nikolai Foster
Co-Director and Choreographer – Nick Winston
Musical Supervisor and Orchestrations – Catherine Jayes
Adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman from a screenplay by James O’Hanlon
Produced by Warner Bros.
Music by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Original orchestral and vocal arrangements by Philip J Lang