Cowbois by Charlie Josephine. The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1 to 10 February 2024. 3***: William Russell.

Cowbois by Charlie Josephine. The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1 to 10 February 2024.

3***: William Russell.

“A right carry on set in the wild west with lots to say about gender.”

Critics do not necessarily agree and I found this rumbustious queer Western written and directed with Sean Holmes to be a self indulgent mess which goes down hill after the first half. It is frequently vert funny, has a lot to say worth saying about gender identity – Josephine considers it “a love letter to the trans masculine people in history whose stories have been ignored or erased” - and contains some terrific performances but it does go on and on. The first act introduces us to a town where the men have gone off in search of gold leaving the women to fare as best they can and,fearing them men, about whom they have not heard anything for a year are dead, they do, discovering that anything men can do they can do too – and getting excited over the whereabouts of a couple of robbers on the run. It is a well run town – no guns, no politics says a notice on the wall of the saloon – although the sheriff is a drunk who has to be kept away from the whisky. But they do fancy Jack Cannon, played by Vinnie Heaven, the robber who arrives wearing suspiciously elegant gear. The lucky lady turns out to be Mine Hostess, Miss Lillian, played with lots of style by Sophie Melville in true Western movie fashion. Somehow or other she ends up pregnant – there is a splendid bathtub scene with Jack, who keeps wearing a vest throughout, in which the impossible turns out to be the possible - while the remaining inhabitants of a town where there is no colour bar form other connections of varying kinds and the inevitable child runs around being insufferable. But the first act curtain, which is perfectly predictable, should still leave one wanting to know what happens next was muffed on press night with a blackout too many. When you do find out it is odd that Jack more or less disappears for most of the time. To stir things up a bit Josephine introduces a very funny turn by L J Parkinson as Charlie Parker, a gun slinger with green hair, leader of the gang after the loot Jack has stashed somewhere which, enjoyable though it is, seemed more or less pointless whereas the sheriff’s discovery that life in white silk and sequins is rather delightful is a joy to watch and a transformation played to the hilt by Paul Hunter. Songs get sung, Jack reveals that, on the run or not, those saddle bags contain a delicious wardrobe of pants for every occasion which don’t quite fit in the way they should, and there is a massive sloppily staged shoot out between the gang and the townsfolk - husbands, wives and partners - who have come to various degrees of acceptance about who is who and what to save their town. Some of what gets said proved inaudible at times – letting the playwright direct means they know what is being said for obvious reasons and hear it whereas the audience is not in a similar position. Sean Holmes should maybe have had a word or two in an ear. It is an enjoyable romp, has things to say worth saying, most of them said in Act One but it could have been a lot more.

Cast

Vinnie Heaven – Jack.

Sophie Melville – Miss Lillian.

Emma Pallant – Sally Ann.

Bridgette Amofah – Mary.

Lemuel Ariel Adou/Philip Kamau/ Alexander Joseph – Kid.

Lucy McCormick – Jayne.

Lee Braithwaite – Lucy/Lou.

Paul Hunter – Sheriff Roger Jones.

Shaun Dingwall – Frank.

Michael Elcock – George,

Colm Gormley – John.

Julian Moore-Cook – James.

L.J. Parkinson – Charley Parkhurst.

Shaun Dingwall – Tommy.

Creatives

Directors – Charllie Josephine ^ Sean Holmes.

Designer – Grace Smart.

Lighting Designer – Simeon Miller.

Compser – Jim Fortune,

Movement Director – Jennifer Jackson.

Fight & intimacy – Bethan Clark.

Dramaturg – Rebecca Latham.

Music Director – Gemma Stort.

Voice & text – Garry Horner.

Dramatherapist – Wabriya King.