The rip-roaring spirit of the Wild West rides into Bromley this week with the UK and Ireland tour of Calamity Jane at the Churchill Theatre.
Directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Nick Winston, this musical is a screen-to-stage production of the classic 1953 golden age film starring Doris Day.
Leading the charge of this beloved musical is West End favourite Carrie Hope Fletcher who plays the iconic role of sharp-tongued Calamity Jane herself.
She joins Vinny Coyle as Wild Bill and Seren Sandham-Davies as Katie Brown, alongside a full cast who play live instruments to really ramp up that West End feel.
This high-energy and light-hearted revival breathes new life into the comedy, whilst still keeping much of the original charm that captured an audience decades earlier with iconic songs like Windy City and The Deadwood Stage.
Carrie Hope Fletcher did a stellar job as Calamity Jane, bringing her strong vocals to the role and delivering hugely on Calamity’s chaotic and comical character that we all know and love.
Meanwhile Vinny Coyle gave a performance of Wild Bill that was endearing and really captured that frenemies-to-love dynamic between Calamity and Wild Bill.
Samuel Holmes gave a hilarious performance as Francis Fryer, who had all the audience laughing, whilst Seren Sandham-Davies’ performance as Katie really did nod to the original played by Allyn Ann McLerie.
The show delivered well on choreography and music with its live music, energetic dancing and crowd-pleasing songs like The Deadwood Stage and Secret Love.
The set, designed by Matthew Wright, recreated the setting of the Golden Garter Saloon, with swinging doors, a wooden bar and a stage where the likes of Francis Fryer and Adelaide Adams perform.
Nikolai Foster’s direction of the show really delivered on the nostalgia and its iconic moments, with the cast receiving standing ovations at the end after two hours of lively, comical and engaging performance.
All in all, the show captured my attention and sent me on a trip down memory lane, whilst making me feel as if I was hearing the story for the very first time
Calamity Jane will be playing at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre until September 20 before playing at Bristol Hippodrome from September 23 to September 27.
