Don’t be fooled by the singing cowboys, this is an incredibly serious play, if only for the fact that the pair of Will Rowland and Eddy Hare have clearly done their research for their show Crizards: Cowboys. We only know this of course because every so often they shout, “Yeehaw cowboy facts” so it must be true.
Rowland and Hare have a knack for completely lighting up the room
Real life attempts to seep into this simple western about trying to stop capitalistic expansion into the Wild West, a story that is full of friendship, original music, and a whole lot of laughter. But really it’s about communication and avoiding talking about serious issues and reality through distractions, like cowboys.
It’s sort of like watching a make-believe game, but one that is as sophisticated as a comedy show about cowboys can be, both in structure and subject matter. The pair wind each other up as they try and top one another, whether it's by interrupting each other, general miscommunication or over pronunciation as they play around with their relatively geographically correct accents. A big chunk of their humour does rely on some mild vulgarity and whilst symbolically prudent, becomes quite unpleasant and interrupts what is sometimes a relatively wholesome moment between two friends. That being said, most of the songs are incredibly catchy, and I definitely have found myself humming the odd melody since seeing Crizards: Cowboys. Not quite Rodgers and Hammerstein but good enough to potentially be a prequel to Oklahoma.
Discussing and challenging traditional concepts of masculinity, Crizards: Cowboys is a one of a kind show about male friendship and the meaning of pard'nership. Managing to balance sentimentality with everything that has the slightest connotation of ‘cowboys’, Rowland and Hare have a knack for completely lighting up the room as they take us on quite the emotional rollercoaster.
The dynamic duo do appear a little hyper at times, mainly due to the sheer amount of energy they seem to possess, firing off of each other like atoms held over heat. Their joy rubs off of us and it is impossible to leave Crizards: Cowboys without a very large grin plastered over your face.
