“These performers do not miss a beat, and will have you gripped till the end.”
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Talk is Free Theatre (TIFT) made a stop in London on their world tour of their production of Mike Bartlett’s groundbreaking play Cock. It’s a script which divided opinion upon release, and has gone on to cement itself as somewhat of a 21st century classic. Against the backdrop of 21st century discourse, some of the show’s exploration of sexuality and gender comes off a little dated. But overall, time has changed the overall meaning of the play, and what holds up is its exploration of masculinity and desire. TIFT’s production, directed by Dylan Trowbridge, is further stripped back, allowing the focus to be entirely on the words of Bartlett and the performances of them. These performances are nothing short of outstanding, making for a great interpretation of Bartlett’s work.
The show takes place in a basement room of the COLAB tower, located just a few blocks down from the Globe theatre. It’s an odd space, like a few of the office spaces-turned-theatres you may find in the City of London, and the team have certainly leant into this. The space is marked by harsh spotlights and a plastic drape, adding to its sterile nature. The props used for performers to sit on make it clear that the space is aware of itself as a theatrical one—set boxes, a decorating platform covered in paint, and a tire. It’s almost as if it is still being set up. This allows for a particularly jarring nature to the whole thing, brought on the moment you walk into the room, with John (Aidan Desalaiz) holding the door, breathing down your neck.
Desalaiz portrays John in an excellent manner. His gaze is compelling and he holds so much tension in John’s character, which makes its eventual break well earned. Michael Torontow commands in his performance as M, and the power dynamic between him and John feels punishing. Kevin Bundy also plays F with a comprehensive understanding of the character, creating a performance which is as frustrating as it is recognisable—a great interpretation. These performers do not miss a beat, rattling off of each other, and will have you gripped till the end.
Tess Benger is a standout as W. Considering the way masculinity and misogyny dominate the script, Benger ensures that W more than holds her own. She is a thoroughly fleshed out, peculiar character, who speaks for herself, and in this version is by no means a stand in for women as whole. Benger’s portrayal felt incredibly unique, humanising the character. This is a welcome interpretation, injecting a new dimension into the play.
The staging in the round is a fun choice, if a little underutilised. It contributes successfully to the intense atmosphere of the show, with the sense of being surrounded. However, the centre of the space is not actually used much, with most action taking place at the four points at the side of the space, in between the audience. At points, this worked well, feeling as though we were at the dreaded dinner table with the four of them. But the frequency of this space meant it felt a little empty. It would have been interesting to make more use of the centre, giving different audience members different moments to see, making use of that critical angle in the centre of the room. But as it stands, the emotional intensity of Bartlett’s play is done incredibly well, especially at its climax. Every character feels culpable in the mess, and despite this, by the end there’s a real sense of empathy towards each one. This iteration of Bartlett’s play strips back the material, and strips back the characters on stage themselves. In this, it is an analysis of not only sexuality and gender, but ultimately an analysis of humans in their bare state, one with a lot of heart.