Rattlesnake (Richard Lock) enters the stage and starts plucking at a banjo, and the curtains open to the cast in full swing. Whip crack away, and the audience start clapping to the first rousing number. This is the first of twenty musical numbers all beautifully accompanied by twelve of the cast playing a vast array of instruments.
As this first appeared in in 1953 in the musical film starring Doris Day, many may be familiar with the story. Calamity Jane (Carrie Hope Fletcher) tries to redeem the saloon owner Henry Miller (Peter Peyerley) from the failure to produce the star Adelaid Adams (Molly-Grace Cutler) for a show. Wild Bill Hickok (Vinny Coyle) dares Calamity to bring her from Chicago, so she sets off to fetch her.
Mistaking Katie Brown (Seren Sandham-Davies), her maid who aspires to perform, for Adams, they go back to Deadwood. Unfortunately, another performer, Francis Fryer (Samuel Holmes), recognises her and her cover is blown. Romance and intrigue follow involving the handsome soldier, Danny Gilmartin (Luke Wilson), with a twist. You will have to go to see what.
While it could be called dated, being over 70 years old, this production brings the show to life rip-roaringly. Great story of friendship, love, mistaken identity, dreams, romance, aspirations and community. Great strong talented cast of 20 actors and musicians. Great set (Matthew Wright, also designer of costumes), a saloon with a stage centre back and raised galleries either side allowing multiple entrances and exits, keeping action constantly flowing. The main floor is easily converted into various locations with great lighting design (Tim Mitchell) instantly transforming the setting and mood; great musical talent; great choreography from co-director Nick Winston; great original direction from Nikolai Foster expertly using the stage to great effect.
Did I use the word great? Yes, well it was, with great—sorry, super—comic performances giving plenty of humour, from the fumbling Holmes’s delivery to his drag scene and the amusing physicality of Lock from his first entrance engaging with the audience to the more serious character of Peyerley, who still gives amusing responses to the situations he finds himself in. Also, great to see a local actor, musician and writer in a great touring production; to see nationally known actor, author and singer Fletcher in the lead, a three-time winner of best actress in a musical, and great to finish a night with the packed theatre on their feet joining in the finale, "The Black Hills of Dakota"; a good time was had by all.
They say nothing is stranger than fact, and this story is based on fact. Calamity Jane was a real person; born Martha Jane Cancy in 1852, she was an American sharpshooting frontier storyteller and much more. Orphaned at 14, she was in charge of her five younger siblings, and this is a story in itself. This storyline is largely fictionalised, although many of the characters are based on real people—she did know Wild Bill Hickok.
Calamity Jane is still Captivatingly Joyous.