In 2009, a play aptly titled Cock premiered on the Royal Court Theatre stage. It was a production centred on self-discovery. Written by English playwright Mike Bartlett, the stylised storytelling captured the queer experience of navigating sexual desire, relationship commitments and sexual orientation. Now, Jonathan Bailey, Jade Anouka, and Taron Egerton have taken to the stage to offer a modern re-envisioning of the play.
Directed by Marianne Elliot and starring a standout cast, Cock has been praised for the stand up performance it offers. For those unfamiliar with the play, Cock follows the story of John (Jonathan Bailey) who lives with his long-term partner M (Taron Egerton). The duo is seemingly happy until John feels unfulfilled with her relationship. To further strain the relationship, John has sex with a woman called W (Jade Anouka). The play continues to unfold with the trio navigating tensions amongst one another as John attempts to figure out his identity. “It’s been quite a busy last two weeks!” Jade excitedly tells GAY TIMES over Zoom. With the play hitting the West End, we sat down with main cast star Jade Anouka to discuss the run up to the premiere night, her biggest acting challenges and identifying with the play.
Hello Jade! How are you doing?
Hi, I’m really well!
So, we have to talk about your latest theatre gig and return to the West End. How did you get involved in this production?
I got an audition through my agent and when I saw Marianne Elliott’s name, I was like yes. I’ve been wanting to work with her for a while. Then I went for recall and got the job.
You will soon be taking to the stage with Jonathan Bailey and Taron Egerton. How have rehearsals been going?
We have done four previews and we started rehearsals at the end of January. Last week we were in tech so we were in the theatre getting all the lights and the staging right. Then in the last few nights, we’ve been doing shows in front of eager audiences who got in there first, which has been great because previews are almost like a rehearsal in front of an audience. We gage it in front of an audience where the energy needs to ramp up. We’ve got under a week of previews and then we officially open to the press.
You’ve had roles across film and TV. How does taking to the stage differ for you when it comes to stepping into your character?
It’s a really different experience. I haven’t done theatre for three years, but in that interim, I’ve been doing a lot of screen stuff. So, getting back into a rehearsal room for theatre is just so lovely. You become a little family in some way and you are a proper team. We’re trying to create something in a little room and then you show it to the audience and you hope for the best. It’s quite a different way of creating with screen stuff as you’re not able to get that real rehearsal time. You don’t necessarily get that sense of family creating together. You have to go in with a much stronger idea of your character and your relationship in terms of the character and the story, rather than you as actors. It’s a very different experience and it can be a bit more alienating,
Was there anything you were surprised by when doing the previews for Cock?
I knew the play was funny, but I didn’t realise how funny it was! It’s hilarious! People are really laughing. It was so joyous actually. Initially, it was kind of quite off-putting, because we really have to ride these laughs so you’re not missing lines, and that was really fun. I realised in the last few shows l that I’m going to have a lot of fun with this. There are a couple of scenes that Jonathan Bailey and I do together and I was looking at him, across the stage, thinking this is gonna be a really fun few months. We were just like that making each other laugh all the time. It can be quite hard at times. Jonathan and Taryn are giggly, naughty boys sometimes, so it’s really good.
This play deals with a lot of queer themes but particularly the notion of bisexuality and self-discovering your identity. You’ve spoken out on social media about bisexuality and how it’s the chosen term that you use to label your sexuality. What does it mean to bring two and two together in a production like this?
I really love it. When this play came up I thought the themes seemed so of the moment, even though the play was first done 13 years ago. There’s a lot of talk about identity and labels and why we necessarily need them and should we give people labels or do we let them choose their own? Some people don’t want to be labelled because those labels can be limiting and then once you adhere to a label, you feel like you can’t change yourself. I think that’s definitely what Jonathan Bailey’s character, John, feels in the play.
I’ve also found putting a label quite refreshing. You don’t have to keep explaining yourself. It’s very much something that the queer community understands about the kind of the need to have to repeatedly come out. It can be quite tiring to do that. For me, it’s about it being easy for other people to understand me. I don’t necessarily need that label, but sometimes it’s easier for other people. It’s one of the things that is so brilliant about the play. I feel so chuffed to be in a play like in the West End and with those conversations. I think that’s brilliant.
What would you say your biggest challenge in the lead up to opening day has been so far?
There’s been a few practical challenges. I started rehearsals when my daughter was seven weeks old. It’s been a real challenge working through that. I have to say big props to the cast, the production team, and everyone who’s been really supportive of me coming back to work as a new mother and making that possible. Acting is what I do and it’s what I love to do. Being able to do that as a new mom is a real pleasure and a real joy. It has been challenging, but it makes things so much more rewarding. I’m having an absolute blast at the moment. The challenge has been can I get enough sleep in order to be able to get through the show?
During lockdown you created a queer short film with Grace Savage. In that film, you see how their differences can complement each other, and this play explores a similar dynamic of change and self-realisation. Were there any shared lessons that you took away from either project?
Totally! I hadn’t actually connected the two productions at all, but you’re right. It was around how we’re seen and how we present ourselves and how we want to define ourselves or not. It was totally something that became really apparent in lockdown, which is when the film was made because everything was under a microscope. It feels great to be exploring these things and having these conversations. With the film on the BBC and on BBC iPlayer, those conversations are being had with people who never had those conversations before. I think that’s brilliant.
For those that aren’t really theatre-goers, why should they see this production?
Oh my gosh, the text is so good, you can not be bored. You’re constantly leaning forward in your seat to work out what’s going on. It starts like a drama and a thriller, and then it becomes a farce. It has got everything in there. The set is really sexy and so are the actors. I think we need a bit of humour sometimes. It’s just such an amazing team to be working with and it’s not like anything else that’s going on at the moment. If you’ve never even been to the theatre before, or you had a bad experience before, try this one out, because it’s a good one.
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