COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural”

Cowboys and Lesbians, written and directed by Billie Esplen, is a queer romantic comedy about 17-year-old best friends Nina (Julia Pilkington) and Noa (Georgia Vyvyan). In their last year at secondary school, they are ready for the adult world and all that their young minds perceive it to entail – the freedom, choosing washing machines, and, most importantly, sex. Outside of school responsibilities, the two fantasise about their futures and a satirical Hollywood romance set in the Old West. Full of cliches, the teenage duo uses this story to explore their feelings for each other and their budding queerness.

The play fluctuates between scenes of Nina and Noa sitting on a bench discussing their hopes and dreams and scenes from their fantasy romance. In the latter, we meet the histrionic small-town girl Abigail – played by Vyvyan – who has dreams of making it to the unspecified Big City. One day, the charming Carter – played by Pilkington – joins her ranch as a farmhand and plays out every stereotype of a tough but sweet cowboy that you can imagine. The two, as expected, fall in love despite violent objections from Abigail’s older brother Jebediah and the intellectual interference of Abigail’s mentor Finneas. It must be commended how easily the pair move between the numerous roles – quick costume changes, exaggerated accents and great physicality do wonders here to help the audience along.

In both plotlines, the theme of stuckness is key – we see the lives of characters who feel that they have nowhere to go and must conform to what is expected of them whether that to learn to be a traditional housewife for the farm or go out to late night gigs in Bethnal Green. The most touching scenes are when Nina and Noa talk to Abigail and Carter respectively about their secret love and are encouraged to take the chance and be together when their created characters could not.

Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural. The former is particularly strong as Carter who swaggers around and poses melodramatically whenever possible. The duo is also very funny – they have a great grasp of comedic timing, and their delivery is always strong and purposeful.

The set (Esme Solomon) is elementary but effective – the façade of a barn with wood-panelling and saloon doors to enter and leave the stage. A simple block sits in the middle of the stage on which the two friends sit as they compose their imaginary world. Pilkington and Vyvyan occupy the space well – making use of all the various props – such as the ladder and washing line – to add movement and intrigue to their dialogue. The lighting (Jamie Platt) works well with the set – a range of colours implemented depending on the time of day and the mood on stage.

There is an undeniable predictability in Cowboys and Lesbians, and it is full of well-worn cliches. Nevertheless, the play seems relatively self-aware, at times mocking its own reliance on the classic romantic structure of cinema and TV. Occasionally, the script shifts into the twee rather than the satirical which can make some moments of awkward teenage fumbling thoroughly cringey to watch. Overall, however, the play hits the right tone, and you can’t help but ‘awww’ when our protagonists finally have their first kiss.

It is a joy to see a queer coming of age story played out on stage. You will certainly laugh but you will also be touched by the naïve sweetness of it all. A well-executed and thought-out play.

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 23rd February 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Ella Pavlides

Previously reviewed at this venue:

LEAVES OF GLASS | ★★★★ | January 2024

KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★★ | January 2024

21 ROUND FOR CHRISTMAS | ★★★★ | December 2023

THE TIME MACHINE – A COMEDY | ★★★★ | December 2023

IKARIA | ★★★★ | November 2023

PASSING | ★★★½ | November 2023

THE INTERVIEW | ★★★ | November 2023

IT’S HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS US | ★★★★★ | September 2023

SORRY WE DIDN’T DIE AT SEA | ★★½ | September 2023

THE GARDEN OF WORDS | ★★★ | August 2023

BONES | ★★★★ | July 2023

PAPER CUT | ★★½ | June 2023

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

★★★★

“Felicity Huffman making her UK stage debut is mesmeric as Paige”

HIR pronounced “here” is a story about place, and in Pulitzer and Tony-nominee Taylor Mac’s darkly absurdist play it is about home, in this shockingly good production. The brilliant cast is led by the multi award winning American actress Felicity Huffman.

The prodigal son, Isaac (Steffan Cennydd) returns home from the Afghan war. Home is the place that Isaac couldn’t wait to leave when he joined the marines. Home is the place he sent dead soldiers back to in a box. Home is the place he dreamt about, and home is the place he is desperate to return to. But everything about his home is different.

Not him, not her, but hir is the preferred gender pronoun of his teenage younger sister, Max (Thalía Dudek), who is no longer his sister but his transgender / genderqueer sibling. His father (Simon Startin) is no longer his abusive father, but a dribbling stroke victim in a nightie, with a clown face and neon pink wig. And his mother (Huffman), who calls Isaac simply I, has become a not so batty, woke and merciless woman. Their quickfire chat and actions in this claustrophobic home knows no bounds as they try to look to a future.

Felicity Huffman making her UK stage debut is mesmeric as Paige from the moment the lights go up on their filthy, messy, shabby box of a house, menacingly built over landfill. Making her husband “shut the door” is torturous, made hilarious by the amount of times Huffman can make those three words sound so different. Paige’s deep set and sadistic revenge cruelty on her now pathetic husband is at times monstrous; as Huffman sprays him with a water bottle, like he is a disobedient dog, but still you laugh – to begin with. Huffman’s timing is faultless.

“more than yet another play about a dysfunctional family”

The cast play their roles with absolute conviction as: toxic masculinity, identity, mental illness, PTSD, raging hormones, disability, gender fluidity, emasculation, abuse and drugs, somehow all get their moment without being preachy in this firecracker four hander.

Thalía Dudek as the titular Hir is all testosterone and bravado, as hir convincingly proves that the Mona Lisa is transgender. Dudek also shows the character’s vulnerability and desperation to have hir brother’s traditionally masculine approval, again as the audience laughs – to begin with.

Masterfully directed by Steven Kunis who brings Hir to life, making it more than yet another play about a dysfunctional family. Hir might not quite have the shock value regarding identity, that Taylor Mac intended, when it first opened nearly a decade ago, but it still packs a punch. Set and costume designer Ceci Calf creates an extraordinary theatrical moment at the end of act one as the set closes ranks, as the 1960s pop song Little Boxes plays. And let’s not forget the hard working stage management team, who have a massive change to handle during the interval.

There’s no place like home but in Hir everything and everyone is broken.

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural”

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 23rd February 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Ella Pavlides

Previously reviewed at this venue:

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS

HIR at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“Felicity Huffman making her UK stage debut is mesmeric as Paige”

“more than yet another play about a dysfunctional family”

HIR at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 21st February 2024

by Debbie Rich

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

HIR

HIR