Cock

Opening night of Cock was refreshingly ready for an audience.  There was no evidence of a lack of time spent in the rehearsal room in this superbly directed (Beng Oh) 2009 work by British playwright Mike Bartlett. 

Cock is about relationships, sexual identity, romantic relationships, and performed identity.  At its heart is the suggestion that the act of sex can be isolated from gender and feelings of love, and, an individual’s behaviour can be controlled by social expectations and the coercion of others.

John (Matthew Connell) is in a relationship with a somewhat critical, brittle and sarcastic male partner (Shaun Goss).  They rub up against each other without much evidence of harmony.  John finds himself attracted to, and fatally seduced by, a lively young generous natured woman (Marissa O’Reilly) and they have pleasurable sex.  John is subsequently confused about with whom to spend his future.  The work contains a dated suggestion that children and growing a family is exclusive to life in heterosexual partnerships.  This conjecture helps to define John’s choices in the context of his changing circumstances.  John’s partner is assisted in his fight to maintain their relationship by his father (Scott Gooding).

There is an intimation of woman as predator.  This is expressed through the crazy fears of John - that he is being stalked - which could be interpreted as misogyny and a fear of female sexuality.  But that is not to say it is indicative of the playwright’s actual perspective - if the work is understood as a conventional play that explores various points of view.

In Beng Oh’s production the wonderful lack of props, and complete commitment of the actors to ‘being in the moment’ and in very close proximity to the audience, is exemplary.  As the actors are kept on the move time is not spent indulgently and their energy is kept alive and vital.

Due to the elucidating writing and committed acting, fully clothed sex scenes are rendered as engrossing and affectingly sensuous.

Conversations are the backbone of the work and Cock would transmute marvelously as an audio piece.  Indeed sometimes the conversations almost too articulately express individual characters’ self-knowledge.  I say this mostly in relation to the female voice.

As John, Matthew Connell brings a light touch and the delicate sincere sensibility of a ‘free spirit’.  Shaun Goss is sharp, crisp and most convincing as John’s feisty long-term partner.  Marissa O’Reilly presents the young assertive ‘femme fatal’ as strong, clever, self aware and deeply seductive.  While Scott Gooding’s Father of John’s partner is complex and profoundly perceptively, resolved and supportive.  The acting is uniformly excellent.

Cock is set simply in the round and costumed with lovely indicative universality by Emily Collett.

A challenging, thought provoking and very interesting work.

Suzanne Sandow