Cock (London) London Reviews and Tickets

83%
(39 Reviews)
Positive
95%
Mixed
3%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great acting, Clever, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Funny

About the Show

Jonathan Bailey & Joel Harper-Jackson star in Mike Bartlett's play exploring sexuality.

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Member Reviews (39)

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127 Reviews | 18 Followers
90
Great acting, Quirky, Thought-provoking, Clever

See it if you like often amusing, thought provoking and brilliantly acted plays. With a minimalist set that allows the talent of the actors to shine.

Don't see it if You need elaborate staging to be immersed. You can't sit through an interval-less hour and 45 minutes.

53 Reviews | 4 Followers
85
Emotional, Comedic, Entertaining, Clever

See it if Jonathan Bailey holds your attention from beginning to end, and is lifted even higher by his partner, played by Joel Harper-Jackson.

Don't see it if This is a very stripped back show, you need to imagine what's going on for most of the runtime, but the performances lift the material high.

Nic
498 Reviews | 94 Followers
85
Interesting, Funny, Indulgent, Great acting, Ambitious

See it if you’d like an entertaining show that has a massively talented actor playing a massively annoying lead character.

Don't see it if you don’t like shows with aggravating protagonists.

274 Reviews | 597 Followers
85
Great acting, Great staging, Thought-provoking

See it if you want to see a very creative and smartly directed 4 person show about sexual preference and identity. Wonderful acting & award worthy dir

Don't see it if you are not comfortable with sexual discussion, or non-nude imagined sex (NOT GRAPHIC), or debate of gender preference. Read more

59 Reviews | 6 Followers
84
Absorbing, Precision direction, Great acting, Well-crafted

See it if you want to be engaged in a well written, acted and directed play. Captivating. Relevant. JB is pure charisma

Don't see it if you are turned off by a play that explores gay sex and relationships. Though, it is so much more. Long, without intermission

936 Reviews | 934 Followers
82
Great choreography, Thought-provoking, Great writing, Great acting

See it if Great acting and smart writing. Intelligent and interesting. Thought-provoking. We’ll balanced.

Don't see it if Could be a little shorter to make it more fast paced.

911 Reviews | 1029 Followers
78
Clever, Great writing, Great acting, Funny, Entertaining

See it if Really great performances. Interesting story w/ comedic & dramatic moments. Clever direction.

Don't see it if You dislike minimalist staging. Could be a bit shorter too.

e8
203 Reviews | 35 Followers
70
Raunchy, Overrated, Great acting, Disappointing

See it if It had some fantastic acting

Don't see it if A lot of walking in circles, not that funny. just disappointing

Critic Reviews (10)

Time Out London
March 16th, 2022

Performed with no props, and with many gestures (such as the removal of clothes) implied rather than carried out, ‘Cock’ is funny and playful but with a stark psychological intensity through its minimalism.
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The London Evening Standard
March 16th, 2022

Similarly, Marianne Elliott’s meticulous, eloquently stylised revival features a cast whose star appeal is matched by their impressive stage credentials.
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The Telegraph (UK)
March 15th, 2022

Terrific at conveying hurt, yearning and simmering self-doubt, Egerton now stars in Marianne Elliott’s revival of Mike Bartlett’s 2009 play Cock, a piece smartly and tragicomically about ongoing confusions of sexuality, the suffocating restrictions of categorisation and the agonies of the heart.
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The Guardian (UK)
March 15th, 2022

First performed in 2009, Mike Bartlett’s comedy might have seemed edgy then but today it echoes and affirms notions around the slipperiness of sexual labelling.
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The Times (UK)
March 16th, 2022

The scene where John and W make love, all the while standing on opposite sides of a revolve, like horny, socially distanced citizens, raised a smile. Otherwise, this was an hour and 45 minutes of tedium.
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WhatsOnStage
March 15th, 2022

It's a play that's easier to admire than to love, but nonetheless a challenging, fascinating contest to witness.
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The Stage (UK)
March 15th, 2022

Despite the best efforts of the cast, the characters always feel primarily like sexual chess pieces engaged in a game in which there can be only one victor.
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The Arts Desk
March 15th, 2022

You can easily forgive the lack of thematic development when Bailey, Egerton and Anouka ignite the emotional fuel of the story — they really rock.
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