I was lucky enough to see Marianne Elliott’s superlative 2022 production of Cock starring Jonathan Bailey and loved every minute of it, but it got me thinking, “what is it that is speaking to me?”
The plot seems simple: a seemingly gay man, John, falls in love with a woman, torn between his boyfriend and an unexpected new love. But beneath this lies a deeper narrative about the fluidity of desire, the pressure of labels, and the often-overlooked reality of bisexuality.
The play gives us no easy answers to what John is, and it doesn’t reduce bisexuality to a phase or a punchline. Instead, it forces us to reckon with our discomfort around ambiguity. John isn’t asking for approval or sympathy; he’s searching for a way to live authentically in a world that demands clear-cut answers to complex questions.
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I chose to direct Cock because it challenges us to confront the erasure of bisexuality within both straight and queer communities. When John’s father-in-law lectures him, “You need to work out what you are”, in the latter stages of the play, the script taps into most people’s human desire to have everything written as simple labels.
Despite our progress in understanding sexual identity, bisexuality is often still dismissed or misunderstood. Bisexual people are far more likely to not be out about their sexuality than gay people, and even among the LGBTQ+ community, 18% of bisexual men and 27% of bisexual women report experiencing discrimination from others in their community.*
From 16th to 23rd September, we celebrate Bisexual Awareness Week, and I’m really proud to be directing Cock at that time. It’s an opportunity to spotlight a narrative that isn’t neatly tied up with a bow—a story that asks us to embrace complexity. In both straight and gay circles, bisexuality often faces scepticism or dismissal seen as halfway out of the closet or as a temporary phase before a real orientation is chosen. These damaging stereotypes ignore the real, lived experiences of so many people.
For me, I hope that bringing Cock to the stage can be about more than just putting on a play. It is also about sparking a conversation. I want the audience to leave questioning their own assumptions about identity, love, and the false binaries society forces upon us. Life isn’t black and white, and our theatre shouldn’t be either.
I’m having a blast with the cast on this show and am blessed to have such talented actors bringing life to these people. The script is funny, witty and surprising and never paints its characters with anything less than three dimensions. You’ll find yourself rooting for one character at one point, then completely against them at another. The play is uncomfortable, messy, and refuses to offer easy answers. At its core, it’s a play about a man navigating his identity in a world that constantly pressures him to choose a side. It’s a reminder that we don’t need to have all the answers to deserve respect and recognition.
Here’s to us all finding out who we are and living our truth.
Cock Cast
This production stars Harry Apps, Micky Gibbons, Meher Baluch and Dave Wainwright.
Harry Apps (John) played Marius in Les Miserables (On tour, on the West End Stage and in concert). He also played Tobi as in Sweeney Todd at West Green House Opera and recently performed in Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre.
Micky Gibbons (M) has appeared in the Tower’s The Real Inspector Hound and A Doll’s House. He has presented Edinburgh Festival shows as writer and performe,and is currently working on a podcast series with the comedy collective Forced Rhubarb. He can also be heard on several episodes of It Just So Happened: An Alternative History Podcast.
This is Meher Baluch’s (W) first time appearing on stage. She has previously appeared in short films and read for Actors for Human Rights. She’s very excited to perform Cock.
Dave Wainwright (F) first appeared on stage in a National Youth Theatre production of Henry IV Part 2 in 1971, at the Shaw Theatre in London. After a very lengthy break, he returned to the stage in 2022, and has since performed in Under Milk Wood (at the Tower Theatre), Myster, Midas and Whodunit Unrehearsed 3 (at the Park Theatre) andRichard III (at the Bridewell Theatre).
Nick Edwards has acted and directed on the London stage with numerous theatre groups, most notably KDC and SEDOS.
The Tower Theatre has been a finalist for the Off West End People’s Awards in Most Comfortable (2022 & 2023) and Most Welcoming Theatre (2022). Tickets for all productions are half-price on opening night previews.
QX promo code gets you 10% OFF all standard tickets. Simply quote QX10 at the checkout.
Cock runs from 18 – 28 September 2024, at The Tower Theatre, Northwold Road, London N16 7HR, United Kingdom.
Cock contains very strong language and sexual references throughout.
Main feature image: Director Nick Edwards. Rehearsal photo (c) Pau Ros.
