Following in the footsteps of Doris Day, West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher is donning a whole load of buckskin to play feisty Wild West heroine Calamity Jane. A new production of the hit musical, directed by Nikolai Foster and Nick Winston, marks Carrie’s dancing debut on stage - an experience that is both terrifying and exciting, as she recently revealed to What’s On...

Carrie Hope Fletcher has a whirlwind of a CV. The 32-year-old actress, singer, writer & vlogger has played both Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables, premiered the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, appeared as Veronica in the original London West End production of Heathers, performed the part of Beth in the national arena tour of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds and toured the UK as Wednesday in The Addams Family.

She is an online sensation as well, turning her hit vlog into a bestselling book and writing novels for adults and children. She also has a successful recording career and undertook UK concert tours in both 2023 and last year.

And now Carrie is taking on another iconic role: Calamity Jane, in the Watermill Theatre production of the much-loved musical.  Directed by Nikolai Foster and Nick Winston, the show is this year touring to venues across the UK, including Birmingham Hippodrome and the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Based on the 1953 film classic starring Doris Day, the production shares the story of Calamity’s adventures in the South Dakota city of Deadwood, alongside Wild Bill Hickok, Adelaid Adams, Katie Brown and Danny Gilmartin.

“Calamity is one of those roles that has everything,” says Carrie. “She’s got a love story, she’s comedic, she’s the action hero, she gets incredible songs - beautiful songs like Secret Love and the big, belty numbers like Windy City. There are so few roles that do everything and tick all of those boxes.

“The movie has so much love surrounding it. When the show was announced, the amount of messages I got saying things like ‘Oh my God, this was my comfort movie’, ‘this movie is the epitome of nostalgia for me’, ‘this was the movie I used to watch with my nan when I was a kid’!

“Everyone adores not just Calamity Jane but also Doris Day. It’s going to be really wonderful to see what kind of audiences turn up.”

But such deep affection for the film brings with it a great responsibility in terms of both the musical and the character, says Carrie.

“It is daunting playing Calamity. I’ve had a few roles over my lifetime which have had that same pressure and responsibility. Ultimately, I try not to feel it, because that’s when you start playing the role based on how other people think it should be played.

“If it feels right to do certain things or to play a character in a certain way, then I also have to be true to the experience that I’m having in the rehearsal room and what the director wants. It’s sometimes very daunting to think so many people love this part, but ultimately, if you get too bogged down in that, you end up doing a disservice to the role.”

The film is based very loosely on real-life characters, and Carrie has been discovering more about their history.

“The true story is very different from the movie version of things. The musical is based on a story of misunderstandings, and it’s not very true to who Calamity Jane and Bill Hickok actually were. They were actually quite scary, cut-throat, gunslinging people who really would shoot you if you got in their way.

“It’s been fascinating delving into the history, especially their relationship with each other, because rumour has it that Bill really didn’t like Calamity at all. But now they’re buried next to each other! Bill died first, and his friends buried Calamity next to him when she died, as a kind of posthumous joke - to dig it in that he didn’t like her and now he’s buried next to her!”

Carrie may have a long list of productions to her name, but Calamity Jane will be her first chance at a dancing role.

“I’ve never had a role that had any great deal of dance to do before, so this is my first stab at actually being in the dance routines. It’s terrifying but also exciting because I’ve been itching for years to have that chance. In fact, I messaged Nick Winston even before the show started to say ‘Please don’t shy away from putting me into the dance routines. I’ve got no ego when it comes to dancing because I’m not a dancer, so if I look terrible, you can tell me and ask me to sit them out. But equally, I just want to be given the chance to do it, and if it works out, then win win!’”

Carrie toured to both the Hippodrome and the Wolverhampton Grand while in The Addams Family.

“Birmingham Hippodrome is one of the most gorgeous theatres ever. It’s one of those theatres where everyone breathes a sigh of relief when they get there because it’s so big that it houses any size of set and props. When you get to somewhere like Birmingham Hippodrome or the Wolverhampton Grand, you don’t have to worry.”

Carrie well recalls a mishap that took place during the show’s run in Wolverhampton.

“I almost broke my ankle! I was just being an idiot backstage, and I jumped out to make my friend jump and twisted my ankle. I was on the floor for about 20 minutes! It was right before the show as well, in the half-hour call.”

Now Carrie is hoping audiences really enjoy the ride alongside Calamity Jane.

“The show is so wholesome; it’s such a wonderful, nostalgic story. People are going to come and be immersed in the world of Deadwood City, be transported away for a while, and not have to think about the state of the world right now.

“Calamity Jane is a really fun, feelgood time, and I think our audiences will be leaving the theatre slapping their thighs and singing. That’s what we hope, anyway!”

Calamity Jane shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 March; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 June and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 September

By Diane Parkes