But the punk singer and actress-turned-TV presenter will be taking on the role made famous by the wholesome Fifties film star when she stars in Calamity Jane at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre this Spring.

Toyah will appear alongside a cast of 18 and a ten-piece orchestra in the classic Wild West musical. You can see Calamity Jane at The Mayflower from April 8 - 12. Box Office: 023 8071 1811.

The Stage: Calamity Jane - Production news - 3rd February 2003
Garry Kilby takes over the role of Lt Danny Gilmartin, from February 3, in the current touring production of Calamity Jane, which also stars Toyah Willcox. Remaining dates are: January - Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (until Feb 1); February - Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (3-8), Civic Theatre, Darlington (10-15), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea (17-22), Congress Theatre, Eastbourne (24-March 1); March - Grand Theatre, Leeds (3-8), Orchard Theatre, Dartford (10-15), Theatre Royal, Norwich (17-22), Theatre Royal, Nottingham (24-29), Empire Theatre, Liverpool (31-April 1).

Glasgow Daily Record: Calamity Pain - Toyah stages remarkable recovery - 1st February 2003
Singer Toyah Willcox faced a real calamity when she dislocated her knee playing cowgirl Calamity Jane. But the former punk icon stuck to "the show must go on" adage.

Toyah, 44, simply nipped backstage, had her knee clicked into place and continued with the show. The opening night audience at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre were totally unaware of the drama. And last night a theatre spokeswoman said: "It is amazing. Toyah was determined not to disappoint her audience by limping off stage.

"So she went off just long enough for her knee to be popped back in. It must have been very painful, but she didn't show anything was wrong. She was very professional."

Toyah shot to fame in 1977 punk film Jubilee and with her 1980s chart hit I Wanna Be Free. She has battled the knee problem throughout her life after being born with a spinal curvature. She once dismissed the condition as "just meaning I crack a lot". And she didn't let it prevent her taking the action-packed role of gun-toting Jane. In the show she is flung around, hoisted up and tripped over. It is understood she warned back-stage first-aiders of her problem and had arranged a signal for them to whisk her off stage if necessary.

Edinburgh Evening News: Toyah avoids calamity at battle of wounded knee - 31st January 2003
As gun-toting Wild West cowgirl Calamity Jane, she is used to taking the rough with the smooth. The feisty gun-slinger simply shrugs off shoot-outs with outlaws and dusts herself down after bar-room brawls. 

But 80s pop star Toyah Willcox had to deal with a real-life calamity while she was on stage during the musical’s opening night in the Capital. As she leapt about the stage of the Festival Theatre, cracking her whip and belting out the musical’s popular numbers, the 44-year-old actress dislocated her knee.

Edinburgh Evening News: Toyah holds the whip hand as she boards city stage - 29th January 2003
Former punk icon Toyah Willcox has taken on the role of Calamity Jane in a new production in the Capital. The 40-something singer stars in the production at the Festival Theatre, which opened last night.

The play is based on a true story from frontier Dakota about a tomboy heroine of the West made famous on screen by Doris Day. The musical will be at the Festival until February 1.

Metro: From the Wild West End - 27th January 2003
What is it with Britain and pop stars with speech defects? Long before G-G-Gareth and will-o'-the-lisp Will Young, Toyah Willcox proved that thounding thlightly different from the norm needn't be a drawback to a successful recording career. Or an acting one, come to that.

Depending on your age, Toyah is best known for playing the part of Mad in Derek Jarman's seminal punk epic Jubilee, modette Monkey in Quadrophenia or Aunt Boomerang in the kids TV series of the same name.

That or flitting between flesh and the spirit presenting The Good Sex Guide or Sunday morning Godsquad series Heaven And Earth. But it's in the guise of cross-dressing, whip-crack-away tomboy cowpoke Calamity Jane that Toyah will be making her way north of the border in Ed Curtis's touring stage version of the Warner Bros 1953 movie hit.

Back then, it was Doris Day who stole the thunder as a chapess in chaps in the black hills of Dakota, turning herself into a lesbian icon in the process. And while Willcox is no Doris Day, there's no reason to think she can't still pack a punch (or slap a thigh, come to that) for all she's worth. She's certainly in good company with Alasdair Harvey, a Scottish star of the West End, along for the ride on the Deadwood Stage as Wild Bill Hickok.

Promising acres of tap-dancing, floozies, quarts and quarts of bar-room shenanigans and plenty of kitsch-n-sink domestic trimmings and lilting log cabin whimsy in the form of A Woman's Touch, Calamity Jane may be thin on plot but it is bursting to the seams with good natured hokum.

And while there may be more than a little artistic licence at play in portraying how the West - and Hickok's heart - was won, it's the sort of sharp shooting cornball that wears its heart on its cowboy shirt with pride.

The Scotsman: Pick Of The Week - 24th January 2003
Whip-crack away, it’s Calam in all her glory, or rather it’s Toyah Willcox in her gunslinging glory. Gone are her days of lisping away through the Top of the Pops stage mist like some frustrated Kate Bush, these days Toyah is revelling in Doris Day’s boots. Set in the hills of Dakota it’s an energetic musical about the unlikely romance of famed Western tomboy Calamity Jane and gunfighter Wild Bill Hickock. In an attempt to lure a handsome army lieutenant away from another woman, Jane trades in her gunslinging and uniforms for housekeeping and dresses. A sing-a-longer’s dream, for sure. 

Glasgow Evening Times: Toyah aiming to be a big hits - 22nd January 2003
Toyah Willcox breezed into Glasgow all guns blazing for her new role as Calamity Jane. 
Her return to the stage has her playing a part immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day in 1953. 
The role as the singing gun-toting heroine in the town of Deadwood is a major shift from her days as a punk icon with flaming red hair in the 1980s. 
She is also a familiar face on TV in programmes such as Heaven And Earth and Doctors. 
Calamity Jane at the King's Theatre also stars Hamilton-born Alasdair Harvey as Wild Bill Hickok and features classic songs such as The Deadwood Satge and The Black Hills Of Dakota. 

Glasgow Herald: Toyah on target for Calamity - 22nd January 2003
TRIGGER HAPPY: The Deadwood Stage came roaring into Glasgow last night with Toyah Willcox at the reins. 
The pop star and actress is playing Calamity Jane, the pistol-packing tomboy, in the musical of the same title, at the King's Theatre. 
The musical comedy includes classic songs like The Deadwood Stage (Whip Crack Away), Just Flew In From The Windy City and Secret Love. 
It tells the tale of a showgirl brought to entertain the female-starved Deadwod locals by Calamity, but chaos ensues when the showgirl's maid is mistaken for the performer. The show with Willcox in the lead role is in Glasgow until Saturday. 

Glasgow Evening Times: Pick Of The Day - 21st January 2003
Calamity Jane, King's Theatre 
She is the gun-totin' heroine who is more than a match for any man - and she arrives in Glasgow tonight. 
Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Willcox in the lead role and local actor Alasdair Harvey as her sparring partner Wild Bill Hickok, is in town for one week only. 
The show, which was made famous by the 1953 movie starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, is full of Western action and well-known songs. It runs until Saturday.

OK! Magazine: Hottest Gigs/Theatre... - 18th January 2003
Glasgow - Calamity Jane : King's Theatre 
Toyah gives Doris Day a run for her money as Calamity Jane in Glasgow.

Daily Express: Calamity Jane - 18th January 2003
Theatre - Calamity Jane 
The whip-crackin'' musical, Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Willcox (pictured with Alasdair Harvey), begins touring on Tuesday at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, from there the show heads to Edinburgh, Canterbury, Darlington, Southend, Eastbourne, Leeds, Dartford, Norwich, Nottingham and Liverpool. 

BBC Leeds: Toyah is Calamity Jane at the Grand this autumn - 18th January 2003
A rip roaring show featuring classics such as Windy City. Toyah Willcox plays sharp shooting heroine Calamity Jane at the Grand Theatre. 
Calamity Jane - Monday 3 - Saturday 8 March 
An action packed, rip roaring show featuring classics such as The Deadwood Stage and Windy City. Toyah Willcox plays the sharp shooting heroine Calamity. 

British Airways: Calamity Jane - 11th January 2003
Calamity Jane The Musical, starring Toyah Willcox and adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman, comes to the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. The music is by Sammy Fain and lyrics are by Paul Francis Webster. 
Calamity is a tough-talking tomboy who puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all conspire against her good intentions. The audience can hum along to classic songs like The Deadwood Stage (Whip-crack-Away!), Windy City and The Black Hills of Dakota.

IC Scotland: Noone causes a Calamity quite like Jane - 11th January 2003
The King's Theatre will this January take us away from the damp and dismal weather of Scotland and over the Black Hills of Dakota and into the heart of the old Wild West. 
Here's where we'll be treated to whip-cracking comedy and romanticism from a cowgirl by the name of Calamity Jane. The pistol packin' tomboy whips up a storm when she brings a showgirl to entertain the female-hungry locals of the Black Hills. 

And chaos erupts in the Western town because of mistaken identity, rivalries and secret assassination attempts in what is a contrastingly funny, touching and riotous musical. The production stars the internationally recognised Toyah Willcox and includes such great songs as The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Flew in from the Windy City and the Oscar-winning Secret Love. 

Glasgow Herald/Glasgow Evening Times: Calamity Jane - 9th January 2003
It's a new year and theatres across the west of Scotland are already gearing up for exciting new seasons. 
Glasgow will be bursting with stars over the next few months, with famous faces joining the best new talent around. 

Toyah Willcox, Johnny Vegas, Siobhan Redmond, Tom Conti, Barbara Rafferty, Rik Mayall, Jerry Sadowitz and Dylan Moran are just some of the celebrities heading for the city. 
With Ambassador Theatre Group firmly in charge now at the King's, the spring season is shaping up to be a cracker. 

Musicals highlights include Calamity Jane, with Toyah Willcox. Toyah steps into Doris Day's shoes as the heroine of Calamity Jane at the King's Theatre.

Country Music News: How the West was sung - 4th December 2002
The heading above is subtitle of a major touring show called Calamity Jane starring Toyah Willcox. The show has adapted for the stage from the movie featuring Doris Day and features such songs as "Black Hills Of Dakota", "Secret Love", "Deadwood Stage, etc. It will be playing at various theatres around Britain between January 20 and May 3.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre/Glasgow King's Theatre: Calamity Jane - 1st December 2002
The Black Hills Of Dakota and the West at its wildest is the setting for this action-packed comedy adventure. 
Inspired by Annie Get Your Gun, and created for Doris Day during the golden age of Hollywood, the pistol packin' tomboy Calamity puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all conspire against her good intentions. 
Riotous and romantic, Calamity Jane features sensational dance routines and many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy City and the Oscar winning Secret Love.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre/Glasgow King's Theatre: Calamity Jane - 1st December 2002
The Black Hills Of Dakota and the West at its wildest is the setting for this action-packed comedy adventure. 
Inspired by Annie Get Your Gun, and created for Doris Day during the golden age of Hollywood, the pistol packin' tomboy Calamity puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all conspire against her good intentions. 
Riotous and romantic, Calamity Jane features sensational dance routines and many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy City and the Oscar winning Secret Love.

Birmingham Arts: Calamity Jane - 6th November 2002
Birmingham's own Toyah Willcox is starring in a new production of the classic comedy musical Calamity Jane. The show whip cracks it way to the Alexandra Theatre on 10th November.

Calamity Jane is an action packed, rip-roaring roller-coaster of a show with one of the most witty and memorable musical scores ever, featuring many classic songs including, The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret Love, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Toyah Willcox returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household names, has a highly successful and varied career, with major hit records, frequent television appearances and many prestigious stage and screen roles in productions as diverse as The Taming of The Shrew, Cabaret, and Peter Pan.

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is a typical Wild West town where the men are cowboys and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard riding, gun-toting and boastful as any man on the prairie.

Calamity Jane is adapted for stage by Charles k. Freeman, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. This new production is directed by Ed Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with musical direction by Peter White.

This Is South Devon: Calamity Jane - 6th November 2002
Toyah Willcox stars in a brand new production of Calamity Jane, visiting the Princess Theatre on its nationwide tour. Calamity Jane is an action-packed rollercoaster of a show, featuring one of the most witty and memorable scores ever written. Its classic songs include The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret Love, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is a typical Wild West town where men are cowboys and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That is, apart from gun-toting Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding and boastful as any man on the prairie. Tough-talking Jane puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star all the way from Chicago to Dakota's Golden Garter Saloon. The dainty chanteuse and hardbitten hero become the best of friends, until Jane realises she may have a rival for the affections of the town's two most eligible cowboys.

Toyah Willcox returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household names, has had a highly varied and successful career, with major hit records, frequent television appearances and many prestigious stage and screen roles in productions as diverse as The Taming of the Shrew, Cabaret, and Peter Pan.

IC Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 6th November 2002
The classic 1953 Hollywood musical starring Doris Day and Howard Keel is revived with none other than Brum's former punk starlet Toyah Willcox donning the suede and brandishing a six-shooter.

Featuring the classic songs The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and the Oscar winning smash Secret Love, Calamity Jane centres around Calamity's effort to save Deadwood's entertainment venue, The Golden Garter, from ruin by bringing the singing star, Adelaide Adams, to perform there.

Calamity promises the patrons of the Garter that she will personally bring the stunning Miss Adams back from Chicago, but accidentally returns with her star struck maid, Katie.

Posing as Adelaide, local heart-throbs Lt. Danny Gillmartin and Wild Bill Hickock both immediately take a shine to 'Miss Adams', but her impersonation is less than perfect...

This is the first major UK tour of the show since Barbara Windsor took on the lead back in 1979.

Toyah Willcox shot to prominence in 1977 with Derek Jarman's seminal punk movie, Jubilee. Scoring a string of major chart hits in the '80s, she has continued to balance her musical and acting careers. Her recent TV work includes narration for Brum and The Teletubbies.

Expect much thigh-slapping, shouting of "darn-it", and some crowd pleasing tunes.

Tiscali Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 16th October 2002
Birmingham's own Toyah Willcox returns to her home territory to star in a new production of the classic comedy musical Calamity Jane, which whip cracks its way to the Alexandra Theatre. 

Toyah Willcox returns to the stage to play Calamity Jane, a role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day. This action packed, rip-roaring roller-coaster of a show has one of the most witty and memorable musical scores ever, featuring many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret Love, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. 

Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household names, has a highly successful and varied career, with major hit records, frequent television appearances and many prestigious stage and screen roles in productions as diverse as The Taming of The Shrew, Cabaret, and Peter Pan. 

The story is based in Deadwood, in the Dakota Territory, a typical Wild West town where the men are cowboys and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard riding, gun-toting and boastful as any man on the prairie. 

Calamity Jane was adapted for stage by Charles K. Freeman, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. This new production is directed by Ed Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with musical direction by Peter White.

This Is Hull: Calamity Jane - The Musical - 14th October 2002
Hull New Theatre hosts Calamity Jane, a classic from the golden age of Hollywood Musicals. Now Calamity Jane hits the stage as an action-packed, rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West with one of the most witty and hummable scores ever written for a musical. 

Calamity, a tough-talking tomboy, puts here reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all conspire against her good intentions. 

Calamity Jane stars the legendary Toyah Willcox whose career spans pop-stardom, film, TV and stage, with lead roles in everything from Taming of the Shrew to Cabaret and Peter Pan. 

Featuring such classic songs as The Deadwood Stage (Whip-crack-Away!), Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota, Secret Love (Academy Award ® for Best Song and Number 1 in the UK charts). 

Hull Daily Mail: Calamity Jane Sets Off On An Adventure - 14th October 2002
Fans of the golden age of Hollywood musicals will be caught up in an oasis of delight this autumn. The classic hit Calamity Jane will hit the Hull New Theatre's stage on Monday, October 28. 

The action-packed, rip-roaring comedy adventure set in the Wild West has one of the wittiest scores ever written and musical managers at the Kingston Square venue are expecting a sell-out. 

Calamity, a tough-talking tomboy, puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. But mistaken identity, feminine rivalry and secret love all conspire against her good intentions. 

Calamity Jane stars the legendary Toyah Willcox, whose career spans pop-stardom, film, television and stage, with lead roles in everything from the Taming of the Shrew to Cabaret and Peter Pan. 

Manchester Evening News: Toyah has the whip hand - 8th October 2002
Toyah Willcox certainly suffers for her art. I'm told a Bond film expert has been cracking the whip to get the eighties popster-turned-actress in shape for her role as Calamity Jane at Manchester's Opera House. But while she now claims to be a dab hand with a bullwhip and gun, there have been a few lashings on the way. 

"I picked it up almost immediately." she grins with a snap of leather. "I think I had just got the knack - I must be a closet dominatrix. The whip is as fast as a bullet and if you don't get it in the right place it flicks back and cuts you. I have one song where I have to do the tricks on stage and I wanted to look like a natural. There is a bit of acting and not acting with people running for cover, but I seem to cut myself with the whip more than anyone else." 

The part, made famous by Doris Day in the Hollywood version of the musical, also seems to be a bit of a disappearing act for the star, who has lost eight pounds since taking on the role a month ago. 

"As well as the cuts and bruises, it's a very physically demanding role," she admits, "I went to buy a sandwich yesterday and the woman serving me thought I looked so skinny she asked if I was ill." 

Salford Advertiser: Wild West comes to town as Calamity Jane rolls in - 3rd October 2002
Toyah Willcox is Calamity Jane when the classic comedy musical comes to the Opera House, Manchester from Monday to Saturday, October 7-12. 

Calamity Jane is an action-packed, rip-roaring
rollercoaster of a show with one of the most witty and memorable musical scores ever written. 

It features many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills Of Dakota and Secret Love, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song. 

Deadwood, Dakota territory, is a typical wild west town where men are cowboys and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding, gun-toting and boastful as any man on the prairie. Tough talking Calamity puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star all the way from Chicago to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. 

After a small matter of mistaken identity, the dainty chanteuse and our eponymous hero (along with the rest of Deadwood) become the best of friends - until Calamity realises she may have arival for the affections of the town's two most eligible cowboys, the dashing Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin and the fast drawing Wild Bill Hickock. 

Toyah returns to the stage to play Calamity, a role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day. 

Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household names, has a highly successful and varied career, with major hit records, frequent television appearances and many prestigous stage and screen roles in productions as diverse as The Taming Of The Shrew, Cabaret and Peter Pan. 

Crewe & Nantwich Guardian: Toyah will be a fast draw - 27th September 2002
Pop legend Toyah Willcox will be whip cracking her way into the Regent Theatre, Hanley as the star of a new production of the classic comedy musical Calamity Jane. 

She will be returning to the stage to play the role immortalised on screen by Doris Day.She has revealed that she is going to put a different spin on the hugely energetic role. 

Toyah has enjoyed a highly successful and diverse career, with major hit records, frequent TV appearances and many stage and screen roles to her credit that have made her one of Britain's biggest household names. She became the face of the eighties, achieving critical success with hits such as 'It's a Mystery' and 'I Wanna Be Free' from the  'Anthem' album. She continued to gain ever-stronger acing roles, appearing in 'The Tempest', 'Quadrophenia' 'The Taming of the Shrew' and 'Cabaret'. She has also become well-known to a younger audience through voicing the hugely successful 'Teletubbies' and 'Brum'. 

As Calamity, Toyah will be delivering some of the best known screen songs , including 'Secret Love', 'The Deadwood Stage' and 'Black Hills of Dakota'. She plays the Indian scout who is as hard-riding, gun-toting and boastful, as any man on the prairie. The tough talker puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star all the way from Chicago to Deadwood's Golden Garter Saloon. After a small matter of mistaken identity, the pair become the best of friends - until Calamity realises she may have a rival for the affections of the town's two most eligible cowboys, the dashing Lt Danny Gilmartin and the fast drawing Wild Bill Hickcock.

This Is Staffordshire: Calamity Jane - 25th September 2002
Toyah Willcox stars in Calamity Jane, whip-crackin’, toe-tappin’ musical extravaganza at the Regent Theatre. 

The Black hills of Dakota and the West at its wildest is the setting for this action packed, rip-roaring comedy adventure full of colourful characters, dazzling dance and toe-tapping tunes starring international pop star and acclaimed actress Toyah Willcox. 

When Pistol packing tomboy Calamity Jane brings a showgirl to entertain the female starved Deadwood locals, chaos ensues with mistaken identities, feminine rivalries and secret assignations. The showgirl is not quite what she appears. 

Riotous and romantic this wonderful production features sensational dance routines superb sets and one of the most witty and hummable scores ever written. With classic songs including Just Flew in from the Windy City, The Deadwood Stage, Whip-Crack-Away, The Black Hills of Dakota and the Oscar winning Secret Love. 

This Is Devon: Yeeha! Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
Toyah Willcox is Calamity Jane - Toyah Willcox has come a long way since the days of Punk Rock (remember "It's a Mystery?")...and her latest role is a million miles away from the era of safety pins, torn clothing and spiky hair. She takes the lead role of Calamity Jane - made famous of course, by Doris Day. 

The musical, which is coming to Torquay's Princess Theatre, features the songs Whip-Crack-Away, Windy City and Secret Love. 

For those too young to remember the film version, it's a Wild West comedy adventure about Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock (played by Alasdair Harvey). 

Banbury Guardian: Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
Calamity Jane hits the stage as an action packed rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West with one of the most witty and hummable scores ever written for a musical.  Classic songs include The Deadwood Stage (whip-crack-away), Windy City and the Black Hills of Dakota. 

Toyah Willcox stars as Calamity Jane with Alasdair Harvey as Wild Bill Hickock. Toyah’s career spans pop-stardom, film, TV and stage. Calamity Jane is brought to the Apollo by Tristan Baker Productions in association with Northampton Theatres.

BBC Oxford: Toyah Willcox in Calamity Jane - 21st September 2002
A damsel trying to save an entertainment venue from ruin is the enchanting story behind Oxford Apollo's Calamity Jane. 

In this well known play, Calamity promises the patrons of the Golden Garter in Deadwood that she will personally bring Miss Adams back from Chicago to saved their beloved Golden Garter. Calamity travels to Chicago to see Adelaide Adam's show. From the back of the theatre she mistakes Miss Adam's stage struck maid, Katie Brown, for the star. 

Katie seizes the opportunity to make her dreams come true by posing as Adelaide and leaving for Deadwood. After crossing dangerous terrain with Indians in hot pursuit, Katie and Calamity arrive in Deadwood to a tremendous fanfare. The men are delighted that Calamity has kept her word and brought the beautiful Adelaide to perform for them. 

Without spoiling the story for you, the playwright weaves their magic throughout the play to ensure a gloriously happy ending. Don't miss it!

Northants News: Calamity Jane - 6th September 2002
Whip-cracking start to some stage classics - A feast of spectacular stage shows and musicals forms the backbone of a busy autumn season just announced by the Derngate in Northampton. The exciting new programme gets off to a whip-cracking start when singer and actress Toyah Willcox plays the title role in an action-packed new production of the classic comedy adventure Calamity Jane, which runs for a week beginning on September 9th

Howdy Toyah, chaotic cowgirl - Toyah Willcox appears as Calamity Jane in a new production of the classic comedy musical which starts a national tour in Northampton this September..

The story is based (very loosely) on a real person, Martha Jane Cannary, who was born in 1852 and dressed, drank and fought like a man though, like her fictional counterpart, she was prone to exaggerate her exploits. Whether she was romantically involved with “Wild Bill” Hickock is unknown, but the story goes that she made a deathbed request to be buried beside him.The movie Calamity Jane was released in 1953 to cash in on the popularity of Western musicals such as the 1950 hit Annie Get Your Gun. The film soon became a classic and made a star of its leading lady, Doris Day.

The film received three Oscar nominations and Secret Love, a ballad from the soundtrack, won an Oscar for the best song. Other hit songs include The Black Hills of Dakota, Windy City and The Deadwood Stage (Whip-crack-away!). Calamity Jane first came to the stage in England in 1979 with Barbara Windsor in the title role but although it toured it never made it to the West End.

Mouse UK: A major new national tour - Toyah Willcox is Calamity Jane - 6th September 2002
Starring the legendary Toyah Willcox, a brand new production of the classic comedy musical Calamity Jane whip cracks its way onto a nationwide tour in Autumn 2002, opening at Derngate, Northampton on 9 September 

Calamity Jane is an action packed, rip-roaring rollercoaster of a show with one of the most witty and memorable musical scores ever written and featuring many classic songs including The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Secret Love, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. 

HOW THE WEST WAS SUNG! 

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is a typical wild west town where men are cowboys and women are clean-living, wholesome gals. That is apart from Indian scout Calamity Jane, who is as hard-riding, gun-toting and boastful as any man on the prairie. Tough talking Calamity puts her reputation on the line when she promises to bring a famous singing star all the way from Chicago to Dakota's Golden Garter Saloon. After a small matter of mistaken identity, the dainty chanteuse and our eponymous hero (along with the rest of Deadwood) become the best of friends - until Calamity realises she may have a rival for the affections of the towns two most eligible cowboys, the dashing Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin and fast drawing Wild Bill Hickock. 

Toyah Willcox returns to the stage to play Calamity, a role immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day. Toyah, one of Britain's biggest household names, has a highly successful and varied career, with major hit records, frequent television appearances and many prestigious stage and screen roles in productions as diverse as The Taming of The Shrew, Cabaret and Peter Pan. 

Calamity Jane is adapted for the stage by Charles K.Freeman, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. This new production is directed by Ed Curtis, designed by Simon Higlett, choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with lighting designed by James Whiteside, sound designed by Autograph and musical direction by Peter White. 

The Times: Theatre Choice - Calamity Jane - 2nd September 2002
Because Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate is ending its London run earlier than planned, some people have predicted the end of musical revivals as we know them. Sorry, Cole. Bye-bye, Lorenz, Richard, Oscar. Don’t want to see you no more. 

But a better way of looking at success and failure is to see them as a matter of timing, the difficult art of catching the mood of the moment. In addition, that is, to the vast cost of staging a musical in London. Outside the capital, recent revivals of Pal Joey and Guys and Dolls have done very nicely, thank you, and the newish, youngish company Tristan Baker Productions seems to be following that route with its touring revival of Calamity Jane, starring Toyah Willcox in the title role. 

Almost half a century has gone by since the Doris Day/ Howard Keel movie won an Oscar for Best Original Song with Secret Love. And this was not just a one-hit musical: Sammy Fain’s score also included Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota and Deadwood Stage. 

The love rivalries of the plot toy with the real-life figures of the gun-toting Indian scout, Jane (born Martha Jane Canary), and Wild Bill Hickock, played here by Alasdair Harvey, recently the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. 

Toyah’s own stage experience began at the National in London and led, by way of punk movies and Trafford Tanzi, to the role of Sally Bowles in the Strand revival of Cabaret. 

After Northampton the show sets off on a national tour that continues, with a break for the panto season, into next spring.

Livewire: It's A Blast: Toyah Willcox as Calamity Jane in Glasgow - 21st August 2002
Toyah Willcox cracks her whip as the tough-talking, gun-toting Indian scout, immortalised on the Hollywood screen by Doris Day, in a brand new production of the classic, comedy musical. Adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman and directed by Ed Curtis, it features all the witty and memorable songs so popular in the film, including "The Deadwood Stage", "Windy City", "The Black Hills Of Dakota" and "Secret Love".

The Stage: Calamity Jane - 8th August 2002
Toyah Willcox stars in a brand new production of Calamity Jane which commences a nationwide tour this autumn. It is adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Ed Curtis directs and musical direction is by Peter White. 

Dates are: September - Derngate, Northampton (9-14), Apollo Theatre, Oxford (16-21), Empire Theatre, Sunderland (23-28), Regent Theatre, Stoke (30-Oct 5); October - Opera House, Manchester (7-12), Grand Opera House, York (21-26), New Theatre, Hull (28-Nov 2); November - Princess Theatre, Torquay (4-9), Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (11-16). The tour continues next year and the dates will appear in a future issue. Produced by Tristan Baker. Productions in association with Northampton Theatres Ltd.

Actors Pages: Calamity Jane - 31st July 2002
A new revival of the classic musical comedy Calamity Jane is opening this autumn and will star actress and singer Toyah Willcox. The production opens at Northampton’s Derngate Theatre on 9 September and then tours to nine further venues, Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent, Manchester, Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay, and Birmingham, until 16 November. Toyah Willcox has frequently appeared on TV, and onstage in such productions as Cabaret, The Taming of the Shrew, Peter Pan and The Shagaround. But she is, perhaps, more widely known for her 80's pop hits, including "I Wanna Be Free" and "It's A Mystery". Toyah singing "The Deadwood Stage" should make this production of Calamity Jane well worth a visit!

British Theatre Guide: Willcox Plays Jane on Tour - 5th July 2002
Former pop star Toyah Willcox is to play the lead in a new touring version of the popular musical Calamity Jane. Beginning on 9th September at the Dernagte, Northampton, the show will tour to nine more cities: Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent, Manchester, Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay, and Birmingham. 

Manchester Onstage: Calamity Jane - 5th July 2002
Calamity Jane hits the stage in an action-packed, rip-roaring comedy adventure round the Wild West with one of the most witty and memorable musical scores ever written. Starring Toyah Willcox in the title role, this brand-new revival, presented by Tristan Baker Productions in association with Northampton Theatres, will recapture the spirit of the Hollywood musical in live performance. 

Whats On Stage: Willcox Stars as Calamity Jane in New UK Tour - 5th July 2002
Actress and singer Toyah Willcox will play the title role in a new revival of the classic musical comedy Calamity Jane this autumn. The production opens at Northampton’s Derngate Theatre on 9 September 2002 and then tours to nine further venues until 16 November. Though best known as a 1980s recording artist with pop hits such as "It's a Mystery" and "I Wanna Be Free", Willcox has frequently appeared onstage in productions including Cabaret, The Taming of the Shrew, Peter Pan and The Shagaround. Set in the Wild West of pioneer America, Calamity Jane is the story of a woman who dresses like a man, totes a gun and drives the Deadwood City stagecoach. Well-meaning but disaster-prone, she tries to help the local saloon proprietor out of a jam by promising to fetch a music-hall star from Chicago. In 1953, the musical was immortalised on the Hollywood screen in a version starring Doris Day as Jane and Howard Keel as her friendly enemy Wild Bill Hickok. Calamity Jane has a book by Charles K Freeman with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Its score includes famous numbers such as "Black Hills of Dakota", "Deadwood Stage", "Windy City" and "Secret Love", which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. 

Remember The Eighties: Calamity Jane - 5th July 2002
Toyah is set to pull on her spurs as she prepares to front a new musical production of 'Calamity Jane' after touring the country as part of the HERE & NOW TOUR. Talking on
her official website www.toyahwillcox.com Toyah has this to say; "This is the biggest project I've taken on in my life. It's the full orchestra, full mammoth production!" 

BBC Birmingham: Calamity Jane - 2nd July 2002
Another actress will be appearing on home ground for a week in November - Birmingham's own Toyah Willcox who’ll be filling the role made famous by Doris Day back in the golden age of the Hollywood Musical when she stars in Calamity Jane (November 12th-16th). So get get ready to catch The Deadwood Stage en route to The Black Hills of Dakota and find a Secret Love ……. 

Ananova: Toyah Willcox to star in Calamity Jane revival - 2nd July 2002
Toyah Willcox is to play Calamity Jane in a new national tour. She will play the lead role in the production which opens at Northampton's Derngate Theatre on September 9. The tour will also visit Oxford, Sunderland, Stoke on Trent, Manchester, Glasgow, York, Hull, Torquay and Birmingham.