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 rollicking ride.

Set in the American Wild West in the 1870s, Calamity Jane is loosely based on the story of real-life frontierswoman Martha Jane Cannary. The 1961 musical was adapted from the 1953 musical starring Doris Day, with six new songs added.

When Francis Fryer arrives in Deadwood, South Dakota and turns out to be a song and dance man rather than the beautiful actress Henry Miller (Millie), the owner of the Golden Garter saloon, had promised, the crowd ain’t happy. To keep the peace, Calamity heads for Chicago hoping to bring showgirl and cigarette card pinup Adelaide Adams back to Deadwood, but mistakenly returns with her dresser Katie Brown.

Despite the initial ruction, Katie wins over the town, including Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin, on whom Calamity has set her heart, and Calamity’s sparring partner Wild Bill Hickok, not to mention Calamity herself – until she discovers Katie and Danny kissing.

The gender politics are dated – not least the notion of a tamed Calamity trading her buckskins for a dress and getting married at the end – but the magic in Carroll’s production is the way it overcomes this by dispensing with the fourth wall. Regaling the audience with knowing nods and winks, ad libs galore, contemporary quips and oodles of meta-theatre, it’s irreverent but affectionate, poking fun at the Wild West tropes without compromising the storytelling. We laugh uproariously yet the emotional moments still land.

At the same time, Carroll teases out the feminist and queer subtext, including the scene when Katie helps Calamity tidy her cabin as they sing A Woman’s Touch.

Virginia Gay and Kala Gare in Calamity Jane. Photo © Daniel Boud

The audience is involved in the storytelling from the go-get. As we enter the venue, the actors are roaming around, welcoming us to Deadwood. As the show begins, Victoria Falconer, playing Susan, Millie’s accommodating “niece”, does an inspired, hilarious job of bantering with the audience and setting the vibe, so that everyone is relaxed, involved and ready to play their part as punters at the Golden Garter.

The show is full of famous songs including The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away!), Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and My Secret Love.

Musical Director Nigel Ubrihien plays the score from the piano, though cast members add various instruments on occasion including banjo, fiddle, accordion and saw, as well as a lineup of glass bottles.

Ubrihien’s clever musical arrangements work superbly, including the barbershop harmonies in Adelaide and the gorgeous rendition of The Black Hills of Dakota, which builds from Calamity’s solo to a duet with Katie and then the full ensemble, which sends shivers down the spine.

Carroll’s perfectly pitched direction is matched by the simple but effective set and costume design by Lauren Peters, lighting by Trent Suidgeest and tongue-in-cheek choreography by Cameron Mitchel.

Gay’s performance as Calamity is one for the ages. She is a complete powerhouse as she storms around the venue, spinning her exaggerated tales, picking fights with Bill and wrestling with her heart. But beneath the rebellious, anarchic, hilarious larrikin surface, she reveals Calamity’s emotional vulnerability. It’s a big-hearted, bold, generous performance, and vocally strong boot.

The cast of Calamity Jane singing The Black Hills of Dakota. Photo © Daniel Boud

The supporting cast, all new to the production, form a well-honed ensemble. Andrew Cutcliffe is a warm, solid presence as the rough, tough Wild Bill Hickok and a good contrast with Kaya Byrne as the handsome, more romantic Lieutenant.

Kala Gare (star of Melbourne Theatre Company’s My Brilliant Career) does a nice job in showing Katie’s growing confidence on stage and kindness off-stage, with lovely vocals to match. Falconer is hilarious as Susan and Adelaide Adams, Phillip Lowe is a hoot as the anxious Millie, who is frequently driven to banging his head against the wall, while Ryan González is very funny as he morphs between characters and brings the house down with Francis’s routine.

All up, it’s glorious fun. If you’ve never seen the production, a treat awaits. If you have seen it, you’ll doubtless be blown away by the way the show has taken root in this new venue and become funnier and more entertaining than ever.

Calamity Jane plays in the Sydney Opera House Studio until 19 November. More information here.