‘Baddest. Cowboy. Texas. These are just a few words to describe the baddest cowboy in Texas.’ This is the opening line to Lil Wenker’s Bangtail and as far as starts go, it’s a good one. Join this titular character on an adventure from the days of cowboys and gunfights to the modern world of slinging calculators and crunching numbers in an accountant’s office. Primarily formed through audience participation, Bangtail features very little story and its schtick gets tiring pretty quickly, with Wenker simply having the crowd repeat phrases back to her for what feels like ten minutes.

However, once the show gets going and begins to evolve, it’s hard not to be won over by the performer. Making use of props, the audience, her own body and some well-written gags, Wenker brims with charisma to craft Bangtail into a show that is almost irresistible. In a Fringe rife with meaning, this isn’t saying a whole lot and there isn’t much of a story to be gripped by; but there are laughs aplenty. Bangtail reminds us that sometimes this is all you need. 

This review was originally written in 2024 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Lil Wenker: Bangtail will be performed at The Courtyard Of Curiosities from Tuesday 11–Sunday 23 March, 7.40pm.