Calamity Jane at The Core Theatre, Solihull Review
Coleshill On Stage’s production of Calamity Jane is a lively, colourful and thoroughly enjoyable show, with a strong principle cast and a lovely supporting ensemble. There is clearly a huge amount of work, energy and enthusiasm behind this production, and that really comes across from the moment the curtain goes up.
There are some particularly memorable performances throughout. Hope Goodyear gives Katie Brown a lovely combination of strong characterisation and excellent vocals, while Noah Gray is a real standout as Francis Fryer. His comic timing and sincerity in his solo Hive Full of Honey make for an especially enjoyable number.
Dean Wilson brings plenty of swagger to Bill Hickock with a really confident and charismatic performance. Siobhan Thornley is also very well cast as the titular Calamity Jane, bringing a wonderfully gruff quality to her scenes and plenty of personality to the role. Her performance of Secret Love is simply stunning - a real goosebumps moment and undoubtedly one of the vocal highlights of the evening.
The ensemble deserves a huge amount of credit too. The eight saloon girls in particular are fantastic in the dance numbers, with the classic can-can choreography working brilliantly to create a really clean and energetic stage picture. There is some great work from the choreographer here. Windy City is another highlight: energetic, fun and very well sung, while Black Hills of Dakota is gorgeous vocally from the ensemble. The understated movement in this number works beautifully alongside the singing rather than competing with it.
One of the things that really lifts the production is the ensemble characterisation. The cast maintain their characters even when they aren't necessarily the focus of a scene, which gives the whole production a much greater sense of life and makes the chorus scenes feel very polished, especially for an amateur production. We could do with the principles coming downstage a little more in these scenes to help us more easily follow the key action, but nevertheless the overall performance remained highly engaging and full of energy.
Visually, the production is also very effective. The costumes look fantastic and really help establish the period and atmosphere, while the set provides the cowboy-esq backdrop without distracting from the performers. It is particularly refreshing to see a classic physical set used to create the atmosphere rather than increasingly popular projections, and this adds a lovely sense of depth that really grounds the performance.
Though the visual presentation is strong, there are a couple of small areas where the show could be tightened further. At times, the dialogue feels rushed, and the slightly anglified Dakotan accents occasionally make lines difficult to catch, particularly in the first half of act one, meaning the plot takes a little while to fully settle into place.
These are relatively small points, though, and there is a great deal to enjoy here. With strong individual performances, a committed and characterful ensemble, some excellent vocals, energetic choreography and a lovely visual presentation, Calamity Jane is a production that feels full of heart.
There are some genuinely special moments in the show, and it's clear that the cast have put an enormous amount of enthusiasm and hard work into bringing this production to the stage. Congratulations to the entire production team for their hard work and dedication in bringing this show to life. A very enjoyable evening from a company that should be proud of what they've created.
Plays at The Core Theatre, Solihull until 12th September.
★★★★
Written by Emily H for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.
