Between the Pages

I love the theatre, whether the productions are professional or amateur, and shows like this are the reason why.  Willenhall Musical Theatre Company have put on a terrific, fun-filled production of Calamity Jane, which was a joy to watch.

In Deadwood, in the Old American West, Calamity Jane is a match for any of her male counterparts, but despite her tomboy looks and behaviour, she is smitten with Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin.  When she goes to Chicago to bring singing sensation Adelaide Adams, a mix-up causes her to bring back Adelaide’s maid, Katie Brown instead.  After the residents of Deadwood reveal the truth, Katie decides to stay, and she and Calamity become good friends.  However, their friendship is threatened when Danny falls for Katie, and Calamity and her friend Wild Bill Hickok, who also loves Katie, find themselves out in the cold…

Lydia Lavill took on the role of Calamity, and played it with great relish.  Timothy Swallow looked exactly right, and was great as Wild Bill, and credit also should be given to Sam King as Katie Brown, and Will Phipps, who was absolutely wonderful as Francis Fryer (an act booked to appear in Deadwood, but who was mistakenly believed to be a female singer named Frances Fryer).

The staging was wonderfully imaginative, with fantastic sets, and the music is so joyful, with such songs as The Deadwood Stage (Whipcrackaway), It’s Harry I’m Going to Marry, The Black Hills of Dakota, and Secret Love.

All in all, a joyous production which left me with a huge smile on my face.

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Click here for my review of the 1953 film.

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