My Life As a Cowboy | Omnibus Theatre

Trying to keep up with what is “cool” nowadays is a tiring task. There are so many social platforms for countless trends to emerge. However, spotting the right one can have its rewards. My Life As a Cowboy tracks a group putting all of their eggs into hoping that Country and Western music is, in fact, now “cool”.

Conor (Harry Evans) and his best friend Zainab (Nusrath Tapadar) appear to be in denial that they are uncool or self-proclaimed “losers”. Conor believes this is in part because they are stuck in Croydon with no escape. This is why he enters the pair into a talent show where they will perform a Country and Western dance piece, reluctantly choreographed by Zainab.

Conor’s work friend, Michael (Callum Broome), appears also to have his own hidden talent that could prove useful in their pursuit of glory. The trio are forced to make some difficult decisions as they search for meaning and conquer their fears.

For a one-act play, it is important to build quickly. However, the pace in the opening scene appears inconsistent and the characters struggle to establish themselves. For instance, a few playful comments, that are delivered as nothing more than jests, seem to enact extreme emotional responses from the other. For a pair that are long-term best friends, there does not appear to be any chemistry. The following scene with Conor and Michael had a clearer style, with jokes landing and a dynamic that looked genuine. This imbalance was present throughout, leaving some scenes fun and playful whilst others were detached and messy.

Other than rehearsing for the final performance, there seems to be little stakes involved until the day of the audition, which is nearly at the end of the play. Conor is left with a tough decision, makes a choice immediately, and then it backfires all within five minutes. Unfortunately, one can only assume the risk factor of the show was an afterthought, but if it

was given more time and spread throughout the play, it has the potential to create a gripping plot.

It does become clear that the play is about finding the courage to overcome the fear of being judged and doing what you love. This is a powerful message that is great to see on the stage, and playwright Hugo Timbrell does well to circle back to the underlying point to ensure the play is carried by meaning. Yet, the delivery of this message is often confusing. For example, Conor tries convincing Zainab to dance with him on stage, something she is

heavily reluctant to do, using what comes across as peer pressure to get her on side. This does not present the message as it is intended, instead coming across as a selfish motivation on Conor’s part.

Aside from the deeper layers of the play, it is a fun-filled and relatively light-hearted show. The scene transitions, to some enjoyable country music, were notably entertaining. The actors had a sense of freedom in these moments and meant we avoided unnecessary blackouts. Several jokes were set up for easy laughs, which is never a bad thing, and the

play was the perfect length (80 minutes) for a chilled night at the theatre.

The moments where My Life As a Cowboy tries to take itself seriously are currently tripping it up. The entertaining side of the production has been established, now it is time to intertwine the rest of it so the two halves can work together. It is a show with a lot of potential.

My Life As a Cowboy runs at the Omnibus Theatre until 8th September - for more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Henri T