Calamity Jane at the Theatre Royal Brighton Review
Calamity Jane
Theatre Royal, Brighton
28 April to 2 May 2015
Reviewed by Meresa Bergin
My husband and I love going to the Theatre Royal in Brighton, it is such a beautiful theatre that is easily accessible from bus routes into and around Brighton as well as the main train station that is a five minute walk away. The staff are always so helpful and welcoming, you are really made to feel important to them if you come often or if you are newbie.
I had never heard of Calamity Jane before, we had seen Annie Get Your Gun a few months ago so wondered if it would be similar. When we arrived to collect our tickets, a little early, the hall wasn’t quite ready so we had to wait in the foyer which did become a little packed and I felt slightly uncomfortable but we were soon allowed into the hall.
We were in row E, so only a few rows from the front on the end which was great as it meant we could easily get in and out if we needed to use the bathroom. I love the hall, all the lights and I adore looking at the roof with its beautiful design. The theatre has three floors with a bar and toilets on each one so you don’t have to walk up and down the stairs, the bars sell a great range of wines, beers and spirits as well as soft drinks and snacks.
As we waited for the show to begin there was a short delay and we were told the role of rattlesnake would be played by an understudy, it was unclear why but the show soon got underway.
The stage was lovely, set as a small town called Deadwood and I loved all the quirky designs. The play tells the story of Martha Jane Cannary better known as Calamity Jane, a gun shooting women who did not dress or act like a lady, who could keep up with and demanded the respect of men. It is set around the time she met Wild Bill whom she later married and bore a child with and follows the tale of Calamity Jane travelling to California to track down the actress Adelaid Adams to help save the town theatre and how she and Bill finally fell in love.
The musical is packed full of characters who all hold their own, such as Francis Fryer who came to town mistakenly meant to be a glamorous actress and tries to dress the part to fool the town which was hilariously! And Katie Brown who was such an endearing role and so adorable alongside Danny Gilmartin and the actors were outstanding in their roles.
All the cast play their own instruments and sing which was very impressive and all whole room loved it as they sang along.
Tom Lister and Jodie Prenger were amazing as the lead roles, Jodie has such stage presence and a beautiful voice, I only knew Tom from his role in Emmerdale so was surprised at how good he was on stage, his solo song was amazing and they both had great chemistry.
I also thought the programme that you can buy was very informative. I am not normally overly impressed with them but it told you all about Calamity’s life and things I wouldn’t have known just from watching the show and also had photos of her and Bill which I thought were beautiful and it felt very real and helped me connect to the story on stage. It also told how actors worked at the time of the play which I found really interesting and how people lived, this is the first play I have been to where when I got home I wanted to read and find out more about it.
We loved the show and would recommend it to anyone to go along and see, you will be in for a great night out!
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £17.90 to £42.40 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Calamity Jane is at the Theatre Royal in Brighton until 2 May 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 7650.
Theatre Royal. New Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1SD | 0844 871 7650
