Carrie Hope Fletcher stars in Calamity Jane, an old-fashioned but still whip-cracking musical

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Calamity Jane (adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman from a screenplay by James O’Hanlon): Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, 28.1.2025. (JPr)

Carrie Hope Fletcher (centre, Calamity Jane) and Richard Lock (far right, Rattlesnake) © Mark Senior

Calamity Jane is inspired by Doris Day’s 1953 movie musical that I have never seen in its entirety; though I have seen so many clips of it over the years and several of its songs are instantly recognisable for those of a certain vintage. Even if you have never heard of the musical, you must surely have heard the song ‘Secret Love’, which has been covered so many times, including by Miss Piggy of The Muppets.

Based on the historical Martha Jane Canary (1852-1903) whose real-life exploits along the frontier of the Old West really need to be read about to be believed. She apparently got her nickname Calamity because it seemed to follow her everywhere. As Robin Seavill’s interesting biographical essay in the programme attested ‘but when disaster preceded her, she was always first to pitch in and help.’ The mainly fictional events of the musical are set in the South Dakota town of Deadwood which had its heydays in the late 1870s after the discovery of gold in the nearby Black Hills. Many famous Old West figures gravitated to Deadwood including Wyatt Earp, as well as Calamity, and gambler, gunfighter, and actor (!) Wild Bill Hickok. Indeed, both Calamity and Wild Bill – who had a daughter Janey – ended up being buried in Deadwood. Central to the musical is the slow-burning relationship between the two of them.

In the musical’s fictional version of Deadwood, the tomboyish Calamity (Carrie Hope Fletcher) is a popular figure; not simply one of boys but with a penchant for ‘sassparilly’ and bent on outdrinking, outshooting and outboasting the lot of them. We hear much about her being ‘Careless With the Truth’, the title of one of the songs. In typical Romcom fashion we know what the outcome will be for Calamity and Wild Bill (Vinny Coyle) despite their initial bickering and one-upmanship. However, initially Calamity is in unrequited love with a Cavalry Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (Luke Wilson) who is not interested in her even though she saves his life.

Henry Miller (Peter Peverley) has women entertainers cross the country from back East to appear in his Deadwood saloon but mistakes male actor Francis – instead of Frances – Fryer, a celebrated female singer. This does not go down well with Miller’s tough crowd of miners, cowboys and other ne’er-do-wells. Calamity quells the riot offering to go to Chicago and bring back another renowned singer, Adelaid Adams (Molly Grace-Cutler), despite Wild Bill scoffing at how Calamity’s rather masculine way of dressing will be received there. When she does return with ‘Adelaid Adams’ he has to dress as Queen Victoria because he bet she wouldn’t be successful.

In fact, the ‘Adams’ who arrives in Deadwood is Katie Brown (Seren Sandham-Davies), the Europe-bound singer’s maid, who, keen to take the stage herself, misled Calamity. After a bad start Katie wins her audience over and also bonds with Calamity and helps turn her into ‘a proper lady’. They sing the song ‘A Woman’s Touch’ as Katie gives Calamity and her ramshackle cabin a makeover and soon she is wearing a dress. You will appreciate some of the themes in Calamity Jane are a little dubious for the woke 2020s but thankfully I didn’t see a ‘content warning’ for that though there was a notice around the Cliffs about the frequent gunshots. Calamity Jane is of its time and debatably all the better for being left mostly alone.

This sets up something of a ‘love rectangle’, Will Bill and Danny chase Katie, whilst Calamity is confused about her feelings (possibly about all three, as that could be another interpretation of where the story could go). They double-date when going to a dance and Wild Bill (who lost when drawing straws) reluctantly takes Calamity, but she is furious when she catches Katie and Danny kissing and she want to run Katie out of town. As usual in musicals everything rushes to a conclusion and after Danny humiliates Calamity, she and the consoling Wild Bill kiss at last – no real spoilers here as you were expecting that anyway! – and they realise they have been in love all along. Cue Calamity’s song ‘Secret Love’ before the happiest of endings as Katie marries Danny and Calamity marries Wild Bill, though you will hope she won’t settle for a life of domesticity; thankfully the real Calamity didn’t.

The cast of Calamity Jane © Mark Senior

There is basically the single set of a typical Wild West saloon with a stage at the rear and balconies above on either side of it. Everything is transformed into other locations such as the Deadwood stage ‘a-rolling on over the plains’, Adelaid Adam’s Chicago dressing room, and Calamity’s cabin, by shifting odd pieces of Matthew Wright’s stage furniture and some subtle lighting changes from Tim Mitchell (notably in ‘A Woman’s Touch’).

Much of the shifting is done by members of an exceptional ensemble many of whom are also actor-musicians because all the music for the generally upbeat songs by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster is played live – and brilliantly – on the stage. There are a variety of instruments seen and heard including saxophone, trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin, double bass, piano …and coconuts. Look out too for the grizzled sidekick – familiar from countless Western movies – Rattlesnake (Richard Lock) picking at his banjo and kicking things off by getting the audience singing along to ‘The Black Hills of Dakota’ which is repeated during the musical. It all comes together – well maybe not the coconuts! – in a right royal hoedown at the end. Nick Winston’s choreography is spirited and energetic throughout and the cast seem to have whale of a time.

The experienced Carrie Hope Fletcher is an engaging, sassy, and very feisty Calamity (her rendition of ‘Secret Love’ was very tender) with Vinny Coyle bringing considerable stage presence to Wild Bill with his vocal highlight being his Act II opening ‘Higher Than a Hawk’, a slightly odd love song. There is considerable chemistry between Carrie Hope Fletcher and Vinny Coyle, and you will become invested in their hate/love relationship. Seren Sandham-Davies is impressive as Katie Brown, someone trying to live their dream and Samuel Holmes has great fun as the actor-turned-song-and-dance man Francis Fryer. There is not a weak link in the entire cast of colourful characters.

Old-fashioned undoubtedly, but it definitely still is a whip-cracking night out in the theatre nonetheless! For more about the Calamity Jane UK and Ireland tour click here.

Jim Pritchard

Featured Image: Vinny Coyle (left, Wild Bill Hickok) and Carrie Hope Fletcher (right, Calamity Jane) © Mark Senior

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 – Adelaid Adams
Richard Lock – Rattlesnake
Ben Mabberley – Hank / Harry
Fergus Murphy – Joe / Stage door keeper
Tomas Wolstenholme – Buck
Claire Greenway – Doc

With James Wycherley (drums and percussion)

Creatives:
Music – Sammy Fain
Lyrics – Paul Francis Webster
Original Director – Nikolai Foster
Co-director and Choreographer – Nick Winston
Associate director and Choreographer – Megan Louch
Original orchestral and Vocal arrangements – Philip J Lang
Musical supervision and Orchestration – Catherine Jayes
Set and Costume design – Matthew Wright
Lighting design – Tim Mitchell
Sound designer – Ben Harrison
Musical director – Christopher Mundy
Producer – Jamie Wilson

2 thoughts on “Carrie Hope Fletcher stars in <i>Calamity Jane</i>, an old-fashioned but still whip-cracking musical”

  1. Enjoyed the show very much – just shame that any reference to ‘Injuns’ was deemed too controversial in the age of ‘woke’.

    JP for S&H. Yes I did write it was ‘left mostly alone’! Of course, Wild Bill originally dresses as a squaw and that and other things disparaging Native Americans should really be avoided now. Although it doesn’t seem women in the musical matter quite as much 😁

    Reply
    • I agree with Johnboy about woke changes. I enjoyed the show but was annoyed that the words of The Black Hills of Dakota were changed. The ‘beautiful Indian country’ became the ‘beautiful mountainous country’. Changing words of an iconic song should not be allowed.

      Reply

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