Jane Phegan, Nicholas Hiatt, Emily Cascarino, Jules Billington, Faith Chaza and Brandon Christine. Photo: Alex Vaughan
Billed as ‘a rollicking queer Western’, Charlie Josephine’s Cowbois , which debuted in the UK in 2023, could also be described as a gay rights party – with guns. And cowboys. Whatever it is, with its gunsmokin’, all singin’ and dancin’ cast and live music, it is full on, mostly fun, and it has plenty to say about sexuality, gender, equality, toxic masculinity and love. All of which is well worth hearing, but a little editing wouldn’t have gone amiss.
In the first act of the 160-minute show we meet the women in a sleepy town in the Wild West. Behind the saloon bar is Miss Lillian (Emily Cascarino) and her neighbours – Christian busybody Sally Ann (Jane Phegan ), bored but sassy Jane (Amie McKenna), quietish Lucy (Faith Chaza) and Mary (Branden Christine). Christine is the only mother in town, and her son (played on opening night by Rory Spinks) is a hoot, and a scene stealer. The only man in town – because all the husbands have been away for more than a year looking for gold – is one very drunk Sheriff (Matthew Abotomey). But life goes on (‘you don’t have to be a lady to get things done’) with whether or not to have salt, sugar or neither on your grits a key topic of conversation. There’s a Wanted poster on the back wall of the set but no one seems overly bothered at being unprotected by menfolk until…
Until the county’s most wanted in the form of Jack Cannon (Jules Billington) breezes in and turns a few worlds upside down.
It’s hard to imagine Cowbois without Billington in this role. They dance, twirl, smirk, seduce, wink and twirl guns with a passion. Kid is delighted, he’s found his role model at last. And with the innocence of a child accepts Jack for who they are. As does Miss Lillian, who is soon under Jack’s spell. Their dance duet, which comes towards the end of the 90-minute first half is joyful and dreamlike, underlining the message of acceptance for each other (and everyone) as they are. Meanwhile the Sheriff, under Jack’s influence, has given up the booze and found himself, revelling in being dressed head to toe in pink stripes and ‘feeling sexy in silk’.
And then, the boys are back in town – the patterned and tasselled curtain (it’s a cool set, with production design by Emelia Simcox and lighting by Brockman) draws back to reveal a row of husbands and partners – and they don’t look happy.
So to Act 2. Jack has disappeared (a pity because their presence is almost essential) and the various husbands (Nicholas Hiatt, Henry Lopez, Edward O’Leary, and Leon Walshe) are trying to work out what the hell has happened to their wives’ attitudes. Where has all the feminine subservience gone? Why ain’t ‘they acting right’? And why is Lucy now Lou, dressed in male clobber? And as for the Sheriff… Of course they don’t like it. And spout lines all women have been hearing for years. And confusion reigns until another bandit arrives – Toothless Tommy (Zachary Aleksander ), who’s out to get the reward money for Jack.
In the ensuing pandemonium, he brings in his henchmen and the townsfolk have to forget their differences and combine to defend themselves, with Jack back (hurray!) and at the helm. What follows is surely one of the longest gunfights in theatre. It’s funny to start with, but boy, does it go on a while. Even though movies may have inured us to the dead rising from surely fatal gun wounds time and again, this fight is a marathon. It is extremely well choreographed (all credit to Danica Lani) but even so…
However, what also sticks in the mind, are the effervescent performances and dancing from the energetic cast of 16. And Cowbois also has an original soundtrack and music from Clay Crighton. For reasons probably only I will understand, it brought back memories of seeing Hair for the first time a million years ago in London. Cowbois is out there, and it’s out to break a few barriers with song and dance, and tongue-in-cheek banter.
As Siren Theatre Co’s artistic director and Cowbois director Kate Gaul says, ‘[It’s] entertaining, theatrical, and sometimes just plain silly, but it’s also a provocation. While it is important and necessary to give artists opportunities to play roles outside of the gender they identify with, this is not the same as telling the stories of people who are trans, non-binary/queer. Cowbois explores gender expression from the inside.’
Cowbois is at the Reginald Theatre until 13 December
Tickets $40-59
www.seymourecentre.com/event/cowbois
