Queer Westerns are not new to theatre or cinema. From Brokeback Mountain to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs , these genres have often featured stories of love between cowboys or outlaws in the American frontier. But what if these stories were not only about romance but also about identity? What if they were not only about violence but also about tolerance? What if they were not only about individualism but also about community?
That is the question that Charlie Josephine asks in her latest play Cowbois , which opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London last week. The play is a subversive queer Western that follows Jack (played by Vinnie Heaven), a nonbinary gunslinger who is on the run from the law after killing their father (played by Paul Hunter), an abusive preacher who tried to convert them to heterosexuality. Along their journey across America in search of freedom and acceptance, they meet Vinnie (played by themselves), a gender-fluid outlaw who joins them as their partner in crime.
Cowbois is not your typical Western story. It does not glorify violence or revenge; it does not celebrate masculinity or femininity; it does not reinforce stereotypes or norms; it does not shy away from diversity or complexity; it does not offer easy answers or solutions; it does not end with happy endings or tragic deaths; it does not follow any plot or structure; it does not have any dialogue or action; it does not have any characters or themes.
Instead, Cowbois is an experimental play that uses various forms of expression to create its own world: music (by Grace Smart), dance (by Adelayo Adedayo), poetry (by Tamara Lawrance), painting (by Cecilia Noble), photography (by Paul Hunter), video (by Sean Holmes). These elements are used to create contrast between reality and fantasy; between order and chaos; between beauty and ugliness; between light and dark; between life and death.
Cowbois is also an interactive play that invites audience participation: audience members can choose whether to join Jack’s gang or Vinnie’s gang; whether to support Jack’s cause or Vinnie’s cause; whether to follow Jack’s path or Vinnie’s path; whether to embrace Jack’s identity or Vinnie’s identity; whether to celebrate Jack’s love or Vinnie’s love.
Cowbois is ultimately an optimistic play that offers hope for its characters: hope for redemption for Jack; hope for acceptance for Vinnie; hope for peace for America.
The play has received mixed reviews from critics so far. Some praised its energy, humor, and boldness in challenging stereotypes and norms of the genre. Others criticized its length, uneven tone, and lack of character development. Matt Wolf from London Theatre gave it three stars out of five and wrote: “You applaud the zest with which Josephine…energises anew an archetypal realm that…might make even the lusty cowboys of Brokeback Mountain blush.” However, he also noted: “But you
also wonder why no one between Stratford and Sloane Square thought to take a scissors to a send-up that would benefit from less on-the-nose sermonising: the production runs nearly three hours.”
Despite the mixed reception, Cowbois has attracted a loyal fan base, especially among the LGBTQ+ community, who appreciate its representation and celebration of queer identities and cultures. The play has also sparked a debate about the role and relevance of Westerns in contemporary society, and whether they can be used as a tool for social change and awareness.
Cowbois is not the first play to challenge the conventions and assumptions of Westerns. In fact, the genre has a long history of subversion and experimentation, dating back to the early 20th century. For example, Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1941) used the Western as a satire of fascism and Nazism; Sam Shepard’s True West (1980) used the Western as a critique of American identity and culture; Moisés Kaufman’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (1997) used the Western as a commentary on homophobia and persecution.
However, Cowbois is perhaps the most radical and ambitious play to reinvent the Western, as it not only challenges its form and content, but also its audience and purpose. By inviting audience participation, Josephine creates a dynamic and immersive theatre experience that blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, between actors and spectators, between stage and screen. By offering hope and optimism, Josephine creates a positive and empowering theatre message that inspires and motivates people to embrace their true selves and to fight for their rights and dignity.
Cowbois is a play that defies expectations and conventions. It is a play that celebrates diversity and complexity. It is a play that questions stereotypes and norms. It is a play that reimagines the Western as a queer Western. It is a play that shows that cowboys can be cowbois, and that cowbois can be anyone.
