Bangtail review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Bangtail is the baddest cowboy in Texas. With his thick, bushy eyebrows and three perfectly sculpted moustaches (yes, three) that men would kill for, he’s a take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred cowboy. Co-created by director Cecily Nash and performer Lil Wenker, Bangtail follows our eponymous hero as he saddles up for a wild ride of self-discovery, facing the lifelong question: Who am I?

Wenker ropes us in from the instant she makes her dramatic entrance. Her physicality and mannerisms as Bangtail show her complete command over the character, allowing this outlandish cowboy to be utterly believable. Her crowd work is sharper than a spur as she wrangles the audience into playing various townsfolk, animals, and sound effects with ease. Audience participation is a given, but in a space this intimate, with a character this charming and a performer this skilled, everyone is a willing participant.

This is Wenker's first visit to Australia, and she’s riding solo, which adds another layer of admiration for the connection she builds with a room full of strangers. And not just any strangers, but Australian strangers, with their uniquely Australian humour and sensibilities. Wenker finds a way to bridge that cultural gap, and her comedy and storytelling hit the bullseye each time.

While the show is packed with laughs, it's also an exploration of Bangtail's quest for identity. When his nemesis, fittingly named Nemesis, steals his title as the baddest cowboy in Texas, Bangtail hangs up his cowboy hat and trades the Wild West for the tame world of an accountancy firm. This shift leads to Wenker gently but effectively exploring ideas of masculinity and the expectations placed on men. The finale isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but watching Bangtail chase his own personal breakthrough is a touching and genuine moment.

Bangtail is a sharp, playful spoof of Westerns, masculinity, and the roles society expects us to play. Not a second is wasted, with every beat making the audience laugh or building the absurd yet oddly heartfelt world Wenker has crafted. She delivers an intensely committed performance while also sharing a part of herself with the audience, cementing Bangtail as the baddest show in town, and one that should not be missed.

Venue: The Motley Bauhaus, 118 Elgin St, Carlton
Season: until Sunday 6 April | 9.45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full | $21 Conc & Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival