Review: COWBOIS, Royal Court Theatre

Charlie Josephine has been making a name for themselves as a disruptor of gender norms. They made a splash last year with their run of I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe, questioning the identity of the French patron saint and enraging traditionalists and conservatives . Their new play Cowbois, which debuted in late 2023 in Stratford-upon-Avon, lives on that same wavelength, with Josephine transforming a genre traditionally associated with manly men into a celebration of proud queer joy. It’s a brilliant twist on a classic Hollywood Western, but it’s way too long for what it is.

The Western tropes are a-plenty (but, fear not, so are the queer elements): shoot-outs, gender roles set in stone, wives patiently waiting for their gold-rushing husbands. When wanted criminal Jack Cannon comes to town, the world of these sexually frustrated women spins on its axis. The outlaw’s gender ambiguity don’t faze the townsfolk for a moment, even if “None of the words quite [fit]”. They can’t help but gravitate towards them. Love blooms and they accept Jack into their (formerly) repressed society, but, suddenly, the men return from their expedition and aren’t as welcoming.

Sean Holmes co-directs with Josephine; perhaps it’s the presence of the writer in the director’s chair that leads the production to be laden with too much self-indulgence. The first scene acts as a lengthy establishing shot. The characters explode in overblown dramatics to settle their idiosyncrasies, but it’s soon evident that their stock nature seeps into their humour too. The jokes and gags repeat themselves and age very quickly. You can only use the word “queer” to mean “weird” a few times in a play that has LGBTQ+ at its very foundation before it grows trite and unimaginative. Yes, it drills the idea into the audience, but at what cost?

The running time is weighted down by many overlong sung interludes and funky dance breaks that act as transitions instead of focusing on a complex narrative. It’s camp, but too vain and chaotic for its own sake. The pace falters and the hook weakens regularly in exasperating shifts in tone and rhythm. Although the timeline can often be confusing, the elephant in the room comes in the shape of a severe lack of nuance.

Josephine brilliantly allegorises the never-ending battle against homotransphobia and avoids any shade of moral superiority in the text, but they narrow it down to a simplistic view of the matter. Whilst it’s an accessible way of boosting the reach of the show, the outcome is superficial. Though the script might have needed a ruthless dramaturg, it still deserves a good dose of praise. It features a handful of exquisite comic performances (Lucy McCormick, Emma Pallant, and LJ Parkinson are stand-out fantastic) and a stunning vocal performance by Bridgette Amofah.

Sophie Melville gives a multi-faceted protagonist who delicately handles all the naivety (and hypocrisy) of discovering that their sexuality isn’t what they thought it was. Vinnie Heaven joins as the bandit who steals her heart. Magnetic almost to a fault, their stage time is not enough to quench our thirst. Their relationship is a rollicking journey, but, most bafflingly, Melville and Heaven share an extended, very wet sex session that results in a magical pregnancy. It’s another instance that could have benefitted from the right pair of scissors.

One thing that never fails to be perfect is the visual arrangements of the actors. Holmes and Josephine balance the scenes with precision, moving their performers and employing a sneaky fog machine to create fine tableaux against designer Grace Smart’s gorgeous old-timey saloon. Stationed at stage right, a band comes in with subtlety when they’re not actively called upon by Jack and their love for a sing-song moment. Alongside a number of surreal and meta details, it’s a quirky element. It amplifies the defiant nature of the piece, but swiftly becomes another exercise in style.

All in all, Cowbois isn’t a bad play per se. It’s a fun and gimmicky queer-affirming semi-comedy that makes for a good night out if you’re willing to close an eye here and there. It’s weird and long, but it means well.

Cowbois runs at The Royal Court Theatre until 10 February.

Photo credit: Ali Wright