Calamity Jane

The company served up a delight of a show. The discipline and energy of the opening number set the standard and the rest lived up to it. The story of Calamity and her antics refreshed anew and Roslyn Dale took the character by storm. Her singing was crisp and clear and entirely in keeping with the madcap she was. She caught to a nicety this larger than life girl who behaved and dressed like a man. The ability to deliver her lines with seemingly unconscious humour made the comedy seem easy. She was well matched by Simon Thomas as Wild Bill Hickock the almost cynical onlooker, who was sweet on her from the start. He too showed his mettle in singing, especially in ‘Higher Than a Hawk’, and was wonderfully inadequate to deal with Calamity’s undressing strop in Act 2.  Chris Taylor as Katie Brown gives us a transformation from hesitant newbie to attractive singer and conveys ambition tempered with selflessness when she leaves town. Andrew Adam as Danny Gilmartin the laconic captain is moved by the ‘cigareet’ card then by the real thing. His rivalry with Bill for Katie’s affection provided more humour but there was tenderness too in the lovely duet with Katie ‘Love You Dearly’. Ian Atherton gave us a deliciously edgy theatre proprietor Henry Miller and Elouise Carter contrasted as his level headed daughter Susan who became a supporter of the song and dance man Francis Fryer where Graham Chapman, dressed as the actress, was a hoot. Jo Mckie saw Adelaide Adams as fairly ruthless, one eye on her fans and the other on the future. All were supported by  good minor principals and a chorus that really gelled and who made sure the big numbers ‘Deadwood Stage’, ‘Windy City’ and ‘The Black Hills of Dakota’ worked their magic. Choreography was impressively slick and apt. The inclusion of the stagecoach at beginning and end worked well. The set of Deadwood and its perspective gave the illusion of space. The transformation of the log cabin in A Woman’s Touch was cleverly done and scene changes went smoothly. This was a production at ease with itself, well staged and offering a night of pure enjoyment.

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