Written and performed by Dylan Kaeuper and William Grice, Cody and Beau is an electric story about two boys and their dreams of the Wild, Wild West.
The scene is set in Gonzales, Texas, 1899, where townfolk believe in cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and Manifest Destiny. We meet best friends Cody and Beau, young teens who play out the tales of Billy the Kid and Sheriff Garrett in their bedroom, armed with their fake guns and Western figurines, dreaming of becoming real cowboys one day. While Beau seems content in Gonzales, with his spelling bee commitments and crush on Abigail, Cody’s aspirations lie outside of Gonzales and in the Wild West. Cody eventually convinces Beau to head to the desert with him, with nothing but a stolen map, tinned peaches, and a dream. What starts as a boyish adventure turns into something far more tender, thrilling, and real, with a life-altering impact on these boys that even puberty could not compete with.
There is so much depth to these characters, a nod to Grice and Kaeuper’s extraordinary acting, writing, and direction. Grice is superb as Beau, embodying the innocence of youth with his ditzy, agreeable, and vulnerable personality. Kaeuper is compelling in his performance as Cody, the adventurous, determined, and hardy yin to Beau’s yang. The range of these two is front and centre, delivering scenes that are entertaining, playful, tender, angry, and compassionate, set against the backdrop of an America on the precipice of modernity. Physical comedy is used throughout as a means of expressing and elevating the storytelling and humour, though even if this were absent, this play would certainly not be lacking. Kaeuper and Grice are utterly captivating, and they maintain a fast-paced, high-energy, fun, and tender dynamic, brilliantly reflecting the characters’ youthfulness and their fixation on Western lore.
I can’t not mention Cody and Beau’s venture to retrieve the map from the Suzy twins’ home. It reminds me somewhat of a more chaotic, endearing, and entertaining version of the classic ’90s children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, though with fewer bears and more slapstick. It is a truly unforgettable scene.
This is a play that has you smiling from start to finish, exploring themes like boyhood, friendship, and folklore. It is a notable production that is well worth the watch. Bravo.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
