God’s Cowboy

Sydney is hosting some high-profile arts events as part of the Mardis Gras Festival – but God’s Cowboy has the bragging rights for most ambitious new Australian work.

How wonderful to see a well-resourced independent theatre production with so much excellent young talent on the stage and behind the scenes.

Producer/Agent Les Solomon has more energy than some people a third of his age. He often produces plays with a queer theme but in this case, he’s penned it himself.  

God’s Cowboy is a heady mix of love, lust, aggro, backstage drama, dancing, film trivia and a dark secret.

The central character is Daniel (Max Fernandez) who is the visiting star of a theatrical production.  His on-stage persona builds a protective coat around him – masking a painful childhood.

He meets close siblings Penny (Sophia Laurantus) and Peter (Nathanial Savy). Daniel believes he is God’s gift to women and men, making a pass first at Penny, then setting his sights on Peter.

 Les Solomon productions often feature buff looking men, who take their shirts off regularly. In this case they get down to their underwear, but thankfully don’t go the full Credeaux Canvas.

There is a good chemistry between the two leads – their scenes of passion feel authentic – as do their moments of pain. Is it just a ‘showmance’ or the start of something more meaningful?

They are perhaps little young for the characters they inhabit. Peter is an encyclopedia of film and music theatre trivia. Don’t young people these days look everything up on their phones?    

Fernandez too is often cast in roles above his actual age – but then again Anthony Warlow once scored the lead in Man of la Mancha as a teenager on his voice alone.

There are plenty of nice surprises in the production. There are surges of classical musical theatre tunes.  Savy shows off his accomplished dancing skills, as does the fourth member of the ensemble Tate Wilkinson-Alexander.

The basic square space of the Flightpath Theatre is efficiently utilised with a lush curtain representing the stage and a bedroom against a wall.

Fluorescent tube lighting flickers in different colours in a clever design from Kyle Stephens.

It all looks like there might even be a happy ending when the couple are scheduled to meet one of their parents.

The production was nicely directed by Ella Morris – my major critique was that it felt like there were three different endings.

I did commit the faux pas of clapping a little early. God’s Cowboy will settle in nicely and has a well-deserved good month run in the theatre.

David Spicer

Photos by David Hooley