At a time when gender, sexuality and identity are at the forefront of politics, Mike Bartlett’s 2009 play COCK is more relevant than ever before: The world is changing, people are listening and educating themselves, representation onstage and in the media is increasing, and folk are questioning and exploring who they really are.
We find ourselves witnessing the end of John & M’s relationship and - through a few snapshots - learn that John has had sex with a woman. What follows is a rollercoaster of inner conflict, hysteria, identity dysmorphia, and some very awkward moments. The text lends itself to Noel Coward’s Private Lives, with John & M sniping at each other constantly, and taking it in turns to land a real scorcher. Bartlett’s text, coupled with the brilliance of Marianne Elliott’s direction, fizzes away until breaking point, where something has to give. As the tension builds towards the end of the play, Elliott isn’t afraid to eke out the silences, to really create an unpleasant dinner party. Trust me, it’s worth it.
As we’ve come to expect from anything she turns her hand to, Elliott has assembled another stellar team of actors and creatives at the very top of their game. As John, Jonathan Bailey delivers another belting performance, similar to the hysteria of his Jamie in Company (another stroke of genius, courtesy of Elliott). He’s charming, sexy, irritating and endearing all at once. This is a man who is desperate to unpick the complexities of his identity, and my heart ached throughout. The people around him want him to make a decision there and then, and a final one at that - but are sexuality and gender identity set in stone? Bailey takes great care of this character and the brilliant speeches that come with it, and I’m sure there’ll be a few nods coming his way during awards season.As M, Taron Egerton is a constant irritant, often belittling John, pushing his buttons in just the right way to spark a response. They’re perfectly imperfect, and it’s a real struggle watching them fight. Bailey and Egerton are a terrific pairing and we’re with them every step of the way. This should mark a very welcome return to theatre for Egerton.
Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels complete the cast as W (John’s female lover) and F (M’s mediating father) respectively. Once all four actors take to the stage for the dinner party, the dynamic changes entirely. Daniels delivers a great speech about how times and attitudes have changed since ‘his day’, and that sexuality is genetic and therefore cannot be changed. Enter Anouka with a slam-dunk - if your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents weren’t gay, how can you be? From this point on, the performances are electric.Merle Hensel’s design is like a padded cell, with light bouncing off its reflective surfaces. Perhaps this explains the lack of any props or furniture; instead, the actors mime glasses of wine and chairs (sitting is just a slump into one’s hip), all of which are forgotten seconds later. The revolves, paired with the work of Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster allow for some great movement sequences. Even something as simple as John and F travelling in different directions, only to meet at the peak of their first sexual encounter is incredibly effective.
As the West End emerges from a frightening ordeal, producers and theatre owners are relying on long-runners to keep the doors open. COCK is a very welcome shake-up, and it’s not to be missed.
Review by Ian Marshall
Rating: ★★★★
