Original Screenplay: James O’Hanlon
Adapter: Charles K Freeman
Music: Sammy Fain
Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster
Director: Nikolai Foster
West End superstar Carrie Hope Fletcher delights in a tame production of Calamity Jane that otherwise never quite hits the wild heights of its raucous Western environment.
The musical stays largely faithful to the 1953 film, following the feisty Calamity Jane (Fletcher) as she’s tasked with providing a star attraction for Deadwood’s beleaguered saloon theatre. Supported by her close friend Wild Bill Hickok (Vinny Coyle), Calamity navigates life, love, and her place as a woman in an overtly masculine world, complicated by the blossoming love between wannabee actress Katie (Seren Sandham-Davies) and Second Lieutenant Danny (Luke Wilson).
This is a lively production, with nostalgic musical numbers, but it feels a little hollow. No time is spared to actually get to grips with any of the characters apart from Calamity, not helped by the love twists that the show speeds through in a rapid and underdeveloped second half.
As the eponymous gunslinger, Fletcher shines in this terrific individual performance. There are very few moments without Fletcher on stage, yet this is a consistently energetic and engaging performance that reminds us that, as a lead, Fletcher’s ability to sing, dance, and act seals her as a triple threat.
Alongside Fletcher, Coyle’s Wild Bill Hickok is not overly wild but is a nice contrast to the fizzing Calamity. Coyle’s vocal range is in full force throughout the performance but the role feels a little restricted in this book, and the infamous cattle rustler is the butt of one too many jokes to be as ‘Wild’ as his name suggests.
Samuel Holmes’ Francis Fryer is well-pitched, with Holmes tirelessly earning each laugh in this comedic role. Holmes’ quick timing is evident, but this is also enhanced by physical comedy. The production races through a lot of its plot, but with Fryer, the script breathes a little to enhance the punchlines, much to Holmes’ comedic advantage.
Director Nikolai Foster and choreographer Nick Winston work hard to create a piece that is sometimes quite inventive. The staging cleverly navigates trips to Chicago through some cute choreography, and this is delivered by a terrific ensemble who help to evoke the busy atmosphere of a run-down Western town and its saloon theatre.
Despite the creative choreography and hard-working cast, this Wild West production feels a little tame. The transitions between numbers are, at times, a little abrupt, yet this never feels like a rip-roaring romp through the wild and wacky environment the original film evokes. Matthew Wright’s strong set and costume design help to immerse us quickly into the Wild West, but again, this feels a little too polished, too safe, for what should be a raucous environment.
Calamity Jane is a lively two-hour show that packs in a lot of movement, jokes and songs, but it somehow, despite the speed, never quite hits the chaos of the original film. This is an energetic piece that, even though it’s not the wildest ride in the west, it’s not a slow trot either; yet it is an oddly safe production.
It certainly is no Calamity, but a bit of jeopardy would not have gone amiss either.
Runs until 31 May 2025 then continues tour.
