King Cowboy Rufus rules the Universe

There are certain shows where the whole is greater than the sum of their parts. In this case the individual parts were better than the whole. This was a show with some truly terrific moments, of surrealism at its finest, of giant talking bears and chickens and babies hanging from the rooftops. The overall result was an acceptable, bizarre entertainment but not one that I would say is a must see.

We were taken into a studio space so hot it would have wilted sunflowers (indeed each audience member was given a bottle of water before we entered, and we needed them). It made for a stifling, boiling atmosphere which, given the main protagonist was a cowboy was quite apt, we could easily have been in an Arizona desert. The set was very dramatic, there were items everywhere, lines dangling across, various items which were interacted with throughout dangling from the walls and ceilings.

In terms of the play itself I have to admit to being slightly confused. Admittedly I am easily confused so it may have just been a tad too deep for me but for the first 15 minutes or so I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Clearly it was a critique of Trump, but it was a rather cryptic one and I frequently couldn’t follow what was going one. A stronger, more defined plot would certainly have helped in my case. Once I had detached myself from attempting to follow a story and I just went with the spectacle it became more enjoyable.

There were many superb aspects to this show, the music is very pleasant and every performer has a beautiful voice, when they sang I was quite taken away with it all. The costumes especially Rufus’ dandy purple uniform are very fine (I feel I must acquire such an outfit, it would greatly enhance my wardrobe). As I mentioned there are some entertaining scenes, one in which they deal with a black bird pie covered in blackbirds springs to mind. All in all there are some powerful elements.

That said this show is not for the faint hearted, if you cannot face high temperatures and do not enjoy dealing with a show often lacking in plot and logic this is not the performance for you. But if you fancy a bit of experimental theatre you could do worse than checking this out.