Melbourne Fringe: The Dirty Cowboy

Solly says that the foundation for this gritty western was the music. "I spent six months writing a collection of songs and when I felt I had enough good material on hand I got together with director/dramaturge Sally Richardson and we did a couple of three-day workshops. Together we looked at all the themes, ideas, emotions, characters and questions coming out of my songwriting."

The Dirty Cowboy premiered at Perth Fringe World earlier this year, where it was First Runner Up for the Best Theatre Award, and Solly believes it has only matured since then. "[I] have a new creative team including director of the show Syd Brisbane, and he has really strengthened the play with his wisdom from the actor's perspective. He has fine-tuned my performance so beautifully and I feel very privileged to have such a respected statesman working with me on this show."

Now Solly is looking to consolidate the play before taking it overseas."I want people to be talking about The Dirty Cowboy in their cars on the way home from the show, in cafes the next morning, and possibly weeks later when they are lying in bed at night..."

What: The Dirty Cowboy

When & Where: 18 Sep — 3 Oct, Upstairs At Errol's