Duck Williams has grown up on his Grandpa’s stories about Halcyon – a mystical, possibly mythical place somewhere out in the American Midwest. Now, finally old enough to go looking for it himself, he sets off across the plains armed with little more than Grandpa’s maps and books. By a campfire, he meets a cowgirl called Red Wednesday and, before long, the pair are travelling together in search of Halcyon. Along the way, they encounter the transgender Chanterelle and Liberty, a couple of strange ghouls, a thoroughly unpleasant cowboy named Clint, and various other characters before they finally reach the place they’ve been chasing – or have they?
I’d Rather Be A Cowgirl plays out as a kind of quest fable, with the wide-eyed, Candide-like Duck stumbling through a landscape he’s hilariously ill-equipped to handle. Red quickly informs him that if he’s serious about the journey, he’ll need the proper kit: a Stetson, boots and a water bottle at the very least. With that, and the inherited wisdom of Grandpa’s maps, the two head off across the dust and scrub. Red, it turns out, has her own reasons for travelling – she’s searching for a missing girlfriend who may or may not have ended up in Halcyon.
The programme notes describe the piece as charting “Duck’s journey of self-discovery and exploring their gender expression”. In practice, though, this theme never quite comes into focus. Red is already a cowgirl, so the title of the piece raises the question: is it Duck who would rather be one? While he’s clearly on a journey in search of meaning as well as geography, the play never quite convinces us that questions of gender identity are driving that search.
More broadly, the problem is that the piece doesn’t quite land on what it wants to say. It brushes against big ideas – identity, loss, existential unease – but rarely digs beneath the surface. Red (played by co-writer Leah Hand) feels grounded and recognisable despite her missing partner, while Duck (co-writer Lewis Fraser) comes across mostly as a young man trying to figure out his place in the world.
Spike Woodley and Nathan Stewart juggle multiple roles while also providing live music on guitar and banjo, occasionally breaking into song. The music itself nicely underscores the action, though the songs never quite lift off. The fifth member of the cast, Morgan Scriven, plays two roles but delivers both at full volume throughout, a performance style that feels oddly disconnected from the more naturalistic tone adopted by the rest of the company, although it’s possible to question their use of accents from the deep south.
Hugo Knowles’s direction sometimes allows the pace to sag, with moments where the action stalls altogether. Characters wander on and off stage or drift about the space, giving parts of the show a languid, slightly unfocused feel.
Still, there’s something admirable about the determination behind the production. Leeds-based Look Sharp Theatre have raised the funds themselves after being turned down by the Arts Council, and whilst in London, they’re relying on friends to house the cast and crew. That kind of grit counts for something. At the moment, I’d Rather Be A Cowgirl feels more like a work in progress than a finished piece – but the company clearly has energy and commitment, and with a bit more honing, they may yet find their own Halcyon.
Review by Alan Fitter
I’d Rather Be A Cowgirl tells the Ballad of Red Wednesday & Duck Williams, outlaws on the run searching for the myth of Halcyon. It transports us to the plains of the American West and asks that all important question: “Is being a cowgirl all it’s cracked up to be?” A tale of gender exploration, found family, and surviving in the harsh world of the Wild West.
Lewis Fraser – Duck Williams/Writer
Lead Hand – Red Wednesday/Writer
Spike Woodley – Chanterelle, Dolly & Ghoul/Music Director & Musician
Nathan Stewart – Liberty & Ghoul/Music Director & Musician
Morgan Scriven – Clint & Billy/Design
Saffy Wehren – Set & Costume Designer
Callie O’Brien – Lighting Designer
Grace Revill – Lighting & Sound Technician & Producer
I’D RATHER BE A COWGIRL
The Glitch
1 to 6 April 2026
Having happened upon the production “I’d Rather be a Cowgirl”, and thoroughly enjoying the performance, I’m pleased that I didn’t read Alan Fitter’s rather condescending and somewhat simplistic review first. The themes of gender exploration and self discovery were sensitively explored in this journey that had audience member’s laughing one second, and almost crying a second later. The title clearly refers to Duck, who is setting out to find themselves as well as the fabled Halcyon, a journey which can never be as straightforward and obvious as the reviewer seems to expect. The music helped pace the performance, linking everything together and the the production flowed smoothly around the campfire.