Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Ambassadors Theatre, London
Cast: Jonathan Bailey, Joel Harper-Jackson, Jessica Whitehurst and Phil Daniels
“The fact is that some of us like women and some like men and that’s fine that’s good in fact that’s good, a good thing, but it seems to me that you’ve become confused.”
In a world full of endless possibilities why must we still limit ourselves with labels?
Jonathan Bailey, Joel Harper-Jackson, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels star in Mike Bartlett’s razor sharp play which redefines the battle of the sexes.
Cock has been the centre of drama since opening several weeks ago. From a cast member fainting on first preview, to a major casting change more recently - everyone's been talking about the show. I had little knowledge of the show before entering, but I did have high expectations. With such a stellar cast, I was expecting performances that wowed. And that's certainly what I was met with.
Cock was originally written in 2009, and was inspired by cock-fighting; which is how it came to have it's eye-catching name. The name itself certainly piques your interest, and leaves you wondering what the story could entail.
The story follows our protagonist John. John (Jonathan Bailey) is in a not-so-happy relationship with M (Joel Harper-Jackson) and comes to the conclusion that they're no longer compatible with one another. In the midst of his confusion, he meets W (Jessica Whitehurst) and soon realises he has feelings for her. After having sex with her, he finds himself more confused about his self-identity than before.
While trying to navigate his feelings and further explore his sexuality, John decides that a dinner with M and W is the ideal way of moving forward. At said dinner, M's dad, F (Phil Daniels) makes an appearance and the play reaches its emotional climax.
To hold an audience's attention for an hour and forty five minutes (with no interval) is no small feat. But the story is compelling and the acting is sublime. Bailey's take on John is nothing short of perfection. Throughout the play he's lost and trying to find his sexual identity within the world. In fact, F says at one point, "Well there's lots of new words to choose from aren't there...why don't you pick one of them?". In an ever-evolving world, John feels overwhelmed and doesn't understand why he has to label himself. He likes who he likes, and it should be as simple as that.
As someone who's recently come out as pansexual, I identified with the story and John's journey, in a way in which I'd never felt seen before. It took me a long time to reach this point in life, and John's being forced into a decision before he's ready; which is something he's struggling massively to come to terms with, after identifying as gay his entire life.
The set is incredibly simple. There are no props, or alternating sets; it's very much left to your imagination. This production relies heavily on the power of words, and does so perfectly. It almost feels as though you're in a pit, watching John battle against not just M and W, but himself too. The reflective set feels as though you're in an arena, and witnessing a fight; which is more powerful than I imagined could be.
Joel Harper-Jackson recently took over from Taron Egerton and as much as I love Taran, I can't imagine anyone playing the role of M better than Joel; he was witty and fit to explode throughout the show. Jessica Whitehurst is the understudy for the role of W, but she was incredible. Phil Daniels only appears for the last segment of the play, but he certainly makes an impact.
I think I'm slightly biased with my review of Cock, because it's something I relate to so much personally. But it is a fantastic piece. It's far funnier than I was expecting, but it also makes you feel intensely. The last twenty minutes of the show are a rollercoaster of emotions, and left me feeling choked several times.
I would urge you to see Cock before it ends it's limited season on 4th June. It feels incredibly intimate and certainly gives you something to think about after leaving the production. It's a show of self-identity and why society puts such pressure on giving everything a label, and how frustrating that can be. If you get the chance to see Cock before it closes, please do - it's a special show.
You can buy tickets to Cock the Play at Ambassadors Theatre, London, here.
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