Cowboys and Lesbians

A queer romantic comedy by Billie Esplen

When repressed British schoolfriends Nina and Noa start writing a parody American coming-of-age romance, the colourful, familiar characters come to life and show them that they might just have a story of their own to tell.

Cowboys and Lesbians is a queer romantic comedy which examines the intersection between sexuality and fantasy through the eyes of two closeted teenage girls, highlighting just how much the stories we consume affect the ones we tell about ourselves.

CASTING 2 actors (both female, playing later teens)

Running time: 75-80 minutes

Billie is a writer and script editor living in South London. She has worked in television since leaving university in 2019, including on the script team for Sally Wainwright's historical fantasy series Renegade Nell. Her debut short film, Home, which she also directed, won the Oxford University Film Society fiction prize in 2017, and her short film Vigo was one of their selected Spring Shorts in 2019. She has both produced and directed for Tightrope Theatre, including Helena Snider's Nightfall (White Bear Theatre, 2021). Cowboys and Lesbians was first produced in 2022 under the title Scholar's Creek and received 5-star reviews for its sold-out run. It is her first full-length play.