Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey to play a gay couple in West end play ‘C*ck’
"'Don't panic when you read it!'" was the director's initial advice to Johnny.
Words: Jamie Tabberer; pictures: Attitude
Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey are to play a couple in a West End revival of the provocatively titled play, ‘Cock‘.
Bridgerton actor and former Attitude cover star Bailey will play John, a man with a long-term boyfriend who identifies as gay, who questions his sexuality when he has sex with a woman.
The play, themed around sexual identity and labeling, originally debuted in 2009 at Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, with Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott and James Bond‘s Ben Whishaw in the aforementioned roles.
According to the Daily Mail, the ‘hot priest’ has been in touch with Bailey with advice about the role.
“The fact is, he doesn’t need to make a decision”
Describing the play as “the study of one man’s sexuality,” Bailey said: “The fact is, he doesn’t need to make a decision [about his sexual identity]. People identify themselves differently than they did 12 years ago. It was ahead of its time.”
He added: “[People] are nervous talking about sexual identity and this movement that’s happening at the moment, with opening the binary structure.”
Explaining that emails about “the wiener play” always end up in his junk email folder, he added: “They now call it the Male Chicken Play or C- O-C-K to get it past the censors.”
The four-hander also stars Jade Anouka and Phil Daniel. It will be directed by Marianne Elliott, whose Patti LuPone-starring revival of Stephen Sondheim musical Company, earned rave reviews in 2018.
Jonathan adds that when Marianne first approached him about the role, she said: “‘Don’t panic when you read it!'”
The news has certainly pleased fans, with one tweeting: “Who reached into my subconscious and made my dream a reality?”
‘Cock’ opens at the Ambassadors Theatre on 5 March 2022 for a 13-week season from March 5. Tickets are on sale now.
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