Cowbois
Writer: Charlie Josephine
Director: Kate Gaul
Seymour Centre
November 20 – Dec 13, 2025
On the one hand Cowbois is a Wild West flavoured barrel of fun, on the other hand, it depicts the hardscrabble existence of the pioneers. Then add to the fluid gender-bending indulged in by the characters, and you have an intriguing, and at times, laugh-out-loud piece of entertainment.
A co-production between Seymour Centre and Siren Theatre Company, director Kate Gaul’s assured direction of this miscellany of ideas is impressive. The rustic set (Emelia Simcox), naturally, is that iconic symbol of the Wild West, the saloon bar. As the audience files in, the musician (Clay Crighton) serenade us with a gentle version of early country music.
While their husbands have gone off to a newly discovered gold field, the women are left defenceless, their only protection the hopelessly alcoholic sheriff, who can barely stand. They are becoming frustrated and express their yearnings to escape – religious Sally Ann (Jane Phegan) would like to become a pastor, some of the others want to go to California.
Suddenly Jack Cannon (Jules Billington), whose “Wanted” poster is displayed on the wall, blows into town, on the run from bounty hunters. Elegant, handsome and seemingly non-binary, Jack has a magical effect on them. Slowly, they start to lose their inhibitions, seeming to be willing to experiment with a warmer, more tactile interaction with each other. Jack’s “magic” even frees up the sheriff (Matthew Abotomey), who embraces sobriety and starts cross-dressing.
The second act touches on the darker aspects of the Wild West. The men return and the wives of necessity fall back into their subservient roles, but there are signs they do not easily forget their brief hint of freedom. In fact, their husbands note “there’s something strange with these women”. Understandably peeved at their lack of finding gold, the husbands are churlish, their behaviour brutish and callous.
The men quickly turn to aggressive brawling between themselves, but their town is suddenly the focus of a bigger imbroglio when the bounty hunter, Charlie Parkhurst (Clay Crighton), in pursuit of Jack Cannon, appears. At the same time, outlaw Toothless Tommy (Zachary Aleksander) arrives and the stage erupts in a classic Western shoot-out. The cast closes with an ensemble number about the “fights that never end”, however the charismatic Jack Cannon steps forward with the last word: “There is Love!”
The gender bending and blending is a new and whimsical twist to the old Wild West story, but all the other tropes are there for the audience to recognise and delight in. Kate Gaul has assembled a marvellous cast to portray this satirically quirky and funny version of a well-worn tale. It’s a lovely finish to Seymour Centre’s 2025 program.
