Theatre Royal Brighton – 1st – 5th April 2025
Calamity Jane is ridin’ into the Theatre Royal Brighton for anyone looking for a rootin’-tootin’ time. This musical comedy classic, based on the much-loved Doris Day film, brings all the whip-crackin’ fun of the Old West to the stage with a stellar cast, catchy tunes and buckets of charm.
Carrie Hope Fletcher takes on the title role with gusto, giving audiences a Calamity who is bold, brash and endearing. She shouts and swaggers around Deadwood with a gun on her hip and a lot to prove. Yet beneath all the bravado, there’s a vulnerability that makes her performance so engaging.
The classic songs The Deadwood Stage, The Black Hills of Dakota and Just Blew in from the Windy City are all crowd-pleasers with plenty of toe-tapping and even some audience singalongs.
Carrie Hope Fletcher’s voice is gorgeous. However, the score doesn’t always showcase her full vocal power but when she launches into the Oscar-winning song Secret Love, it’s pure magic. She pours every ounce of emotion into the song as her vocals soar, making it a highlight.
Her onstage chemistry with Vinny Coyle’s Wild Bill Hickok is electric. Their back and forth in I Can Do Without You is sharp, playful and full of fire. Vinny Coyle’s deep, rich voice adds gravitas to the role and he brings a charismatic presence that balances Fletcher’s high-energy performance perfectly.
The rest of the cast is also impressive, doubling as musicians and playing their instruments live on stage which adds an extra layer of immersion to the production.
Seren Sandham-Davies is adorable as the sweet but ambitious Katie Brown and Luke Wilson brings depth to Lieutenant Danny, making Calamity’s unrequited love for him all the more poignant.
Special mention to Samuel Holmes who is hilarious as actor Francis Fryer, getting some of the biggest laughs of the night.
The staging is clever. A piano transforms into a stagecoach, a saxophone becomes a gun. If there’s a drawback, it’s that the plot remains fairly thin and the film’s old-fashioned ideals about beauty and romance are never really overturned in a powerful way. exactly rewritten for a modern audience.
Still, the energy, humour and talent on stage make up for it. The audience clearly agrees, giving the cast a well-earned standing ovation. Fun, fast-paced and full of heart, this production of Calamity Jane is a rip-roarin’ success.
Calamity Jane tour review – 4 stars
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