Aylesbury turns into Deadwood this week as Calamity Jane, the stage version of Doris Day’s classic film Whip-crack-away’s the stage at Waterside Theatre.
Calamity Jane is the biggest tomboy there is. So much so that people quite often mistake her for a man. It’s not just her deer hide matching two piece; her gun and lack of femininity add to the disguise but that is just what it is as underneath it all she still thinks like a female. She likes second lieutenant Danny, but he sees her as a friend. But Calam has the biggest heart and when poor Francis comes to town, she realises that to save him she needs to bring an actress to Deadwood. The problem is the only actress she knows is Adelaide Adams – only the most famous actress there is! She takes it on herself to bring Adelaide back, but without realising it, she brings back Katie Brown, Adelaide’s maid who is an aspiring actress herself.
Calam is played by Carrie deserves every accolade bestowed on her. Her voice is so natural and she was born to be on the stage. You would think the role of Calam was made for her she is so good and I absolutely loved her. Her singing voice is a dream and I honestly could spend the rest of my life watching her on stage. She deserves icon status. No wonder Andrew Lloyd Webber loves her. Secret Love was especially wonderful and the audience cheered in appreciation.
Vinny Coyle plays Wild Bill and what a character he is. Vinny is a bit of a heartthrob with a winning smile and his acting skills are something to behold. I also enjoyed him dressed as Queen Victoria. Samuel Holmes plays Francis Fryer and he was fantastic in the role. His comic timing and willingness to do almost anything to earn a buck on the deadwood stage makes him so much fun to watch. He easily steals scenes. Seren Sandham-Davies plays Katie perfectly. Some of her lines are iconic and she delivers them exactly as we expect (I am mouthing some of them along with her). Seren is just stunning in the role from her nervousness of being on the Deadwood theatre stage for the first time pretending to be Adelaide to being Katie delivering A Woman’s Touch with Calam. Every scene is perfection.
Calamity Jane has all the songs you love from the film including Deadwood Stage, Windy City, Black Hills of Dakota and of course Secret Love. It also has some you may not know including Love You Dearly, Careless With The Truth and Men (which I really enjoyed). The cast play their instruments on stage which for this musical, works really well. I especially enjoyed the banjo playing opening to the show by Rattlesnake played by Richard Lock.
Its so good you don’t want it to end. I had wished there was a bit of a medley at the end that the audience could enjoy a sing-a-long but we do get a great hoedown dance instead.
This is a fantastic musical and worth its wait in gold. You don’t need a gold rush claim to buy a ticket, don’t miss this
Calamity Jane is at Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury until 18 January 2025.
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