Sarah Monaghan
- 4 min read

NEWS - CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER TO LEAD THE MAJOR UK & IRELAND TOUR OF CALAMITY JANE.

THE MULTI-AWARD-WINNING WEST END STAR CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER TO LEAD THE MAJOR UK & IRELAND TOUR OF CALAMITY JANE.

· THE WHIP CRACKIN' MUSICAL COMEDY CLASSIC WILL OPEN AT AYLESBURY WATERSIDE THEATRE ON 14 JANUARY 2025, MARKING 10 YEARS SINCE THE SHOW LAST HIT THE ROAD.

Jamie Wilson Productions is delighted to announce the revival of The Watermill Theatre’s whip-crackin’ production of the Broadway and West End hit musical Calamity Jane starring Carrie Hope Fletcher, which will head to the Manchester Opera House in January 2025 as part of a UK and Ireland tour.

Calamity Jane will open at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on 14 January 2025 followed by Manchester Opera House, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Sunderland Empire, New Victoria Woking, Leeds Grand Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Brighton Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre Royal, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Liverpool Empire, York Grand Theatre, New Wimbledon Theatre, Canterbury Marlowe, Southampton Mayflower, Sheffield Lyceum, Stoke Regent Theatre, Blackpool Opera House, Glasgow Kings, Curve Leicester, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Milton Keynes Theatre, Truro Hall For Cornwall, Dublin Bord Gais, Llandudno Venue Cymru, Bradford Alhambra, Wolverhampton Grand and Bromley Churchill Theatre. For the full details please visit www.CalamityJaneMusical.com.

Marking ten years since the show hit the road the production reunites the previous creative team with Direction by Curve Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster (An Officer and a Gentleman, Kinky Boots), Co-Direction and Choreography by Nick Winston (Shrek The Musical, Burlesque The Musical), Orchestration and Music Supervision by Catherine Jayes (The Color Purple, Merrily We Roll Along), and Set and Costume Design by Matthew Wright. This production will have Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Sound Design by Ben Harrison and Casting by Debbie O'Brien.

Carrie Hope Fletcher is a three-time WhatsOnStage Best Actress in a Musical winner. She most recently originated the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella (Gillian Lynn Theatre, West End). Her previous credits include Veronica in Heathers, Wednesday in The Addams Family and Eponine in Les Misérables. Carrie is a 2022 GRAMMY nominee for two competing albums for Best Musical Theatre Album - Cinderella (Original Concept Album) and Les Misérables: The Staged Concert (Live Album). Carrie went out on her first solo tour in 2023 which was entitled An Open Book – she toured the UK (including a sold-out performance at the London Palladium) and the show was a huge celebration of her career so far. She embarks on her second solo tour, Love Letters, in Autumn 2024. Alongside theatre, Carrie has also written several best-selling novels and has huge social media presence with over 635,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel with over 1 million views every month.

Carrie Hope Fletcher said “Calamity Jane is one of those roles that doesn’t come around all too often. She’s action, romance and comedy all packed into one character, and I can’t wait to take on the challenge of filling her shoes!”

Producer Jamie Wilson said “With this new version of Calamity Jane first opening at The Watermill Theatre in 2014, I am delighted to be collaborating with them again to finally bring this wonderful production back to theatres all over the country after a 10-year absence. We have been waiting for the right moment and artist to step into Calamity's boots and bring this hilarious and joyful musical back to the nation, and we are thrilled that Carrie Hope Fletcher will be leading the company as the iconic Calamity Jane. Carrie is one of the UK’s most talented artists who’s broad fan base will introduce this much beloved musical to audiences across the country.”

Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this foot-stomping new production features all the sure-fire classic songs including The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love.

Meet the fearless, gun slingin' Calamity Jane – biggest mouth in Dakota territory and always up for a fight. She'll charm you hog-eyed though, especially when trying to win the heart of the dashing Lieutenant Gilmartin, or shooting insults at the notorious Wild Bill Hickok. But when the men of Deadwood fall hard for Chicago stage star Adelaid Adams, Calamity struggles to keep her jealousy holstered. Her heart's a thumpin'... but who for?

What are you waiting for, you wild coyotes? Whip-crack-away!

Full casting will be announced in due course.

Calamity Jane was adapted for the stage by Charles K. Freeman from a screenplay by James O’Hanlon, produced by Warner Bros. With music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster and Orchestral & vocal arrangements by Philip J. Lang.

Venue listings:

14 – 18 January 2025

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/

21 – 25 January 2025

Manchester Opera House

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester/

28 January – 01 February 2025

Southend Cliffs Pavilion

https://trafalgartickets.com/cliffs-pavilion-southend/en-GB/southend-theatres

04 – 08 February 2025

Sunderland Empire