Heartwarming and sweet comedy that will have you smiling from ear to ear
My Life As A Cowboy is a comedy play written by Hugo Timbrell and directed by Scott Le Crass. It was originally due to be part of the unfortunately canceled Vault Festival 2022, before eventually being put on at the Park Theatre as part of their Come What May Festival, and the show has another lease of life again at the Omnibus Theatre. The show stars Harry Evans, playing Conor, a 17 year old self professed “loser” who has decided that country and western dancing is his key to a brighter future. Nusrath Tapadar plays his supportive to a fault friend Zainab, and Callum Broone plays Michael who works with Conor at the local leisure centre and harbours his own ambitions of something more.
The one word that I would use to describe this show is sweet, and if I can stretch to three words, sweet and heartwarming. In tone it is somewhat comparable to a comedic Heartstopper wholesome teen story, but without the romance element. It is difficult not to get swept up in the fun and wholesome positivity of this show and have a really good time. The show is not particularly deep or philosophical. It has a few things to say around chasing your dreams, being who you want to be and the importance of friendship, but this is all quite surface level and is not explored too deeply. The show remains very much a light hearted teen comedy with small moments of drama.
The cast were all strong and embodied their characters well. The most impressive aspect of their performances was the chemistry between the characters which felt incredibly real and helped give these characters more depth. I did initially have some trouble with the character of Conor as he seemed a bit grating initially and just an over the top and inauthentic gay caricature. However, as the show goes on and we spend more time with Conor, I really found myself rooting for him and wanting him to succeed. All 3 actors made the most of the comedic moments they have, with Nusrath and Callum, playing Conors friends Zaineb and Michael, having especially strong comedic chops. I only wish these characters got to interact with each other more!
The show is not perfect, and there were some weird non-sequiturs, which were either due to mistakes by the actors or a slightly awkward script. Some moments, especially a specific moment with a fan and sunglasses, created a fun visual but really did not land comedically for me. There were other instances of jokes not quite getting the laughs, but these were breezily moved past and there are some other good laughs coming along before you know it.
If you are looking for a hard hitting drama on the human condition, or a innovative new comedic production, this is not the show to come and see. If you want to see a really sweet, heartwarming show that will leave you smiling at the end, this is the show for you.
My Life As A Cowboy is playing at the Omnibus Theatre until Sunday 8th September.