A whipcrack away ride into the Wild West
We all loved playing cowboys and Indians as kids; we were raised on a TV diet of The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, and Hopalong Cassidy. Black-and-white films told the tales of Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, and Jesse James. It was easy to see whose side to be on: the good cowboy wore a white hat, the baddie wore black, and the Red Indians were always savages who took the scalps of innocents, writes Michael Holland.
The 15-year-olds, Cody (Dylan Kaeuper) and Beau (Will Grice), are growing up in a small town in 1889, Texas, on a diet of magazines about the Wild West and the same names the young of Britain grew to know and love. They cosplay the scenes they read about and dream of being heroes in their stetsons, cowboy boots, and holsters holding their wooden pistols. Jumping around the bedroom, looking for cover as they fire off Colt 45 noises at the enemy only they can see.
They are fascinated by the fact that the first shot in the Texan Revolution was fired in their hometown, and there was talk of some granpappy involved in the conflict. This had all filtered down for 50 years and fired up the blood of Cody and Beau to get away and make themselves famous and get written about. When there is a rumour that their hero, Billy the Kid, is not really dead, an idea was formed to go and find him for an autograph.
The boys, who already thought they were men, planned to escape the small-town mentality and head out west. The first attempt, however, was thwarted by a barking dog that sent them scuttling, terrified, back home after not getting very far.
Eventually, they got away and found sleeping beneath the stars exciting and adventurous, but the novelty soon wore off. Plus, they soon discovered that the real Wild West is not for young men play-acting; the comics they devoured did not give the full facts but embellished them. Their childhood games ultimately ended in grown-up reality.
Kaeuper and Grice, who also wrote and presented the play, have been friends since school, so the relationship between their characters was natural. They cram a lot into the 60 minutes, riding bareback through playing with their toys in their bedroom, to discussions about the rest of their lives, and on to riding the range.
Catch it at the local saloon while it’s in town.
Brockley Jack Studio, 410 Brockley Road, SE4 2DH until 25th April.
Booking and full details: https://brockleyjack.co.uk/
