Calamity Jane, Crescent Theatre, review by Ashok Patel. 10th, 11th and 12th July 2026

Calamity Jane

Crescent Theatre

by Ashok Patel

10th, 11th and 12th July 2026

“This is a fabulously entertaining show .”

Birmingham Youth Theatre (BYT) was formed nearly forty years ago and is one of the region’s finest youth theatres.  Calamity Jane, the latest in a long line of successful and award-winning shows, is put together by the excellent creative team of Ralph Toppin (director), Chris Corcoran (musical director) and Amber Southall (choreographer).

The story is set in a lawless wild west town called Deadwood City in Dakota 1876. The great saloon-bar-theatre set and opening song and dance transports us back to the era in great style. The saloon owner, Henry Miller, played with genuine nervousness by George Beckett, awaits the arrival of the eastern star, Frances Fryer, to entertain his demanding customers. Calamity Jane who is played brilliantly by Charlotte Foxall, dresses, rides and shoots like a man but deep inside is a beautiful girl who is searching for her true love. She arrives in town with Frances Fryer to the snappy musical number of Deadwood Stage.

The local characters, including Wild Bill Hickok and Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin, played with excellence by Joseph Taylor and Alfie Phelan respectively, are not best pleased when the actress ‘Frances’ has her wig ripped off during a song and dance and they realise that ‘she’ is the young man ‘Francis’. To make amends Calamity Jane promises them that she will bring the east’s most glamourous star, Adelaide Adams, much to everyone’s disbelief, including Rattlesnake, Susan and Doc (played so well by Megan Allsop. Rose McHale and Gethin Randerson respectively) and the rest of the citizens (Georgie Dunn, Shire Clarke, Tayla Clarke, Thomas Harmon, Edina Bilham-Moore, Imogen Jenkins, Isobel Jenkins, Kendall Owen, Sebbie Parker, Anna Williams and Aya Inoue-Horn).

We meet Adelaide Adams and her maid, Katie Brown, (played by the talented Erin Haran-Lewis and Livvy Owen respectively) but Calamity Jane mistakes Katie Brown for Adelaid and brings her back to Deadwood City. After a nervous start in the saloon, Katie Brown gives a show-stopping performance and everyone is won over. Danny and Wild Bill are particularly taken by Katie, whilst Katie and Calamity Jane are both sweet on Danny. The Stage Door Johnnies (Eva Campbell, Jessie Butler, Maddy Sykes and Talia Hockley) and the Can Can dancers (Cerys Worthington, Ena Moreton and Martha McGrath) are wonderful.

Calamity Janes dresses in Katie’s refinery and looks beautiful and is the belle of the ball at the celebratory event. She explodes in anger when she finds Katie with Danny. Wild Bill calms her down and makes her realise that she is a real woman even though she acts and dresses like a man. As she and Wild Bill sing the hauntingly lovely Secret Love, they realise they are meant for each other.

The show closes with the joyous people of Deadwood celebrating a triple wedding, that of Calamity Jane to Wild Bill, Katie to Lt. Danny Gilmartin and Francis Fryer to Susan.

This is a fabulously entertaining show which the audience enjoyed thoroughly.

BYT continue their long tradition of developing local young performers and creating great shows.