COW | DEER
Royal Court
★★★★★
“an evocative and moving story”
‘Cow | Deer’ is a ground-breaking, haunting exploration of humanity’s impact on nature: a wordless theatrical experience unlike anything you’ve ‘seen’.
As autumn’s chilly fingers take hold, ‘Cow | Deer’ beckons you to spend a summer’s day in the life of two animals – one wild and free, the other domesticated. Created entirely with sound, the deer roams the forest looking for berries and water; the cow is pregnant and preparing for birth. Neither can escape human interference: planes roar overhead, cars screech past, dogs crash through protective barriers; the bucolic idyll is quickly shattered. Then the climax: two heartbreaking fates. Human dominance is clear.
Co-created by Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal and Melanie Wilson, this innovative piece pushes the boundaries of theatre. Though staged, it’s aural with nothing to watch save the Foley artists working their magic. Instead, sound IS the show, perhaps most effectively experienced with closed eyes. Though unlike a radio play, it’s fully immersive, a gravel path greeting your feet, the smell of fresh hay in the air. The sound enfolds you, moving dynamically through the space, approaching and retreating from all sides. You feel every step, every raindrop, every fly bite. Little by little, you slip into cow and deer’s world, feeling every shiver, every breath, as if it were your own. I initially wondered if a day in the life of a cow might be a little dry; but the plot hits hard, channelling a flood of emotions and giving these animals a voice without uttering a single word.
Alex Eales’ design is genius. The stage unassumingly displays the Foley materials on a bed of straw, grass, water and stone, accented by Prema Mehta’s soft lighting. You almost don’t notice the array of technical equipment, microphones and sound booths. Soft lighting remains throughout, allowing you to watch these artists in motion if you wish, but encouraging you to drift away and let your mind create the visuals.
The soundscape design by Tom Espiner, Ruth Sullivan and Marie Zschommler and realisation by Espiner, Pandora Colin, Tatenda Matsvai, Ruth Sullivan and Melanie Wilson, is beautifully rich and realistic, combining real field recordings with deft Foley art. Real bird calls and human sounds mix with trees creaking, streams splashing and hooves stamping. Scene changes are grounded by clear shifts in ambient tone. The range of sounds is phenomenally impressive. This is not simply an emulation of the outdoors; expect screaming jet engines, screeching car tyres, and even whooshing from the inside the cow (come see it, you’ll see what I mean). There are unexpectedly funny moments, like the cow’s thunderous wee and cow pats slapping the ground. It weaves together an evocative and moving story, despite the lack of words and visuals.
The cast and sound engineer work seamlessly together, creating impressively complex sounds through an aural ballet. Every moment requires a skilful coordination of whisking, shaking, squelching and striking, simultaneously using multiple Foley materials. It’s breathtaking to watch and so effectively recreates the natural world I can scarcely believe the rustling leaves are the fringes of a glittery pompom.
‘Cow | Deer’ is a compelling and expressive marriage of technology and art, with an important message about nature under siege. As poignant as it is impressive, I urge you to experience this experimental work and ‘see’ things from a new perspective.
COW | DEER
Royal Court
Reviewed on 11th September 2025
by Hannah Bothelton
Photography by Camilla Greenwell
Previously reviewed at this venue:
DEAF REPUBLIC | ★★★★★ | September 2025
AFTER THE ACT | ★★ | May 2025
MANHUNT | ★★★★ | April 2025
A GOOD HOUSE | ★★★★ | January 2025
THE BOUNDS | ★★★ | June 2024
LIE LOW | ★★★★ | May 2024
BLUETS | ★★★ | May 2024
GUNTER | ★★★★ | April 2024
COWBOIS | ★★★★★ | January 2024
