Cock - Theatre

Show & Culture

After a highly successful run in 2024, Mike Bartlett’s Cock returns to the Théâtres de la Ville for another gripping encounter, dissecting love, identity, and the complexities of human desire with biting humour and raw emotion. In the heart of London, John’s seemingly stable life with his boyfriend splinters when he suggests a break and unexpectedly falls for a woman. What follows is neither a simple love triangle nor a tale of sexual awakening, but rather an explosive examination of identity in a world that offers limitless possibilities yet traps us in the very labels we create. Torn between two lovers and struggling with opposing societal expectations, John’s crisis of choice spirals into a storm of passion, cowardice, and flaky commitment. Director Anne Simon’s staging strips the theatrical experience to its essence. On Anouk Schiltz’s bare, tilting stage that physically embodies the shifting power dynamics and John’s indecisiveness, Bartlett’s razor-sharp, darkly comical dialogue flies like daggers in this emotional cockfight, culminating in a dramatic dinner party where personal, generational and societal expectations collide. The Olivier Award-winning play crackles with wit and contemporary resonance and at a time when identity has never been more fluid, nor more fiercely contested, Bartlett’s masterpiece feels more vital than ever. This production is part of a special programme in collaboration with Rosa Lëtzebuerg, to mark Luxembourg Pride, celebrating the LGBTQI+ community, diversity and love.