Richard Carroll’s production of Calamity Jane began life in 2016 as a Neglected Musical at the Hayes Theatre Co (performed with script in hand, after one day’s rehearsal).

Featuring Virginia Gay in the title role, it was such a whip-cracking success that the following year, Carroll directed a fully staged version at the Hayes, which proved a dazzling hit. The show toured in 2018–2019 to venues including Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre and Sydney’s Belvoir Street.

Now, a new production has opened at the Sydney Opera House Studio. Led by the same creative team, with Gay reprising the role of Calamity, it is sharper, funnier, more unruly and more joyous than ever – proof of what can be achieved when a production is given time to evolve.

Virginia Gay in Calamity Jane. Photo © Daniel Boud

Though Carroll has done an excellent job of adapting the production to the different venues it’s played, the SOH Studio suits it to a tee. With cabaret tables on the floor, nestled up against the small stage, and with performers prowling, the audience is instantly immersed in the world of the show and taken on a...