Will Rowland and Eddy Hare star in a cowboy-themed musical, set in Oklahoma.
A lot of its comedy rests on their lack of knowledge about the Wild West, falling into comedic stereotypes and situations, such as funny accents, getting stuck in quicksand, or being confronted by a bear. The duo are self-aware of their amateur-cowboy status, and play into it well.
The pair attempt to perform a "Western" show to indulge their love of cowboys, but things take a turn when the actors real lives get in the way. Will wants to talk about his most recent break up, whilst Eddy just wants to distract himself from life via cowboys and comedy. This was ultimately a tale about friendship and life, using comedy and music to explore themes of honesty, loneliness, vulnerability, and trust in friendships. For example, Will's cowboy-character chats to the moon in a way that reeks of comedy, but belies his inner loneliness - that is, until he rekindles his bromance with Eddy's character. I would have loved to see these themes pushed even further, as they had potential but felt unexplored.
They joke about being the "UK's lowest energy double act", and whilst this may be a little true, the energy of the audience was as high as could be. The lighthearted nature of the jokes, and the sweet yet turbulent relationship of Will and Eddy had the audience in hysterics for the majority of the hour.
This show delivered exactly what it promised - laughter, cowboy reenactments, and enjoyable songs. The comedy was not what you'd call high-brow, residing on more of a surface-level of jokes, and I would have preferred to see a balance with some wittier jokes. At times the comedy seemed repetitive, such as the running joke about accents, and perhaps could do with some more punch behind it. Nonetheless, it was funny, silly, and likable.
If you're looking for some simple but funny humour, and have an hour to spare, seeing Crizards would be a fun way to spend an evening with friends.
Whilst this run in Soho Theatre is now over, you can see Crizards perform at Vault Festival this February.
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