Luke Thallon, Matthew Needham and Isabella Laughland Announced For Mike Bartlett's COCK At Chichester

Three of the UK's most exciting young actors - Luke Thallon, Matthew Needham and Isabella Laughland - will appear in Kate Hewitt's new production of Mike Bartlett's COCK, which will play in the round at Chichester's Minerva Theatre from 28 September - 27 October. They will be joined by Simon Chandler, whose most recent Chichester appearance was in Festival 2017's The Stepmother. This will be the first revival of Bartlett's Olivier Award-winning play since its 2009 premiere at the Royal Court.

Has John straightened out? After years glued to his boyfriend, the couple have been through a sticky patch, and now John's attached to someone else. Someone who is different in every single way. But can John give her what she wants, when he's never been with a woman before?

Funny and eye-openingly fresh and frank, c*ckis a provocative peep into relationships in these days of oscillating identities. It tussles with knotty twenty-first century questions: can we - and should we be allowed to - change if we want to?

Luke Thallon, who plays John, was nominated for the Evening Standard's Emerging Talent Award for his role in Mike Bartlett's Albion at the Almeida Theatre. His other theatre work includes The Inheritance (Young Vic) and Misalliance (Orange Tree Theatre); he was the recipient of the National Theatre's Michael Bryant Award 2017, and the Society of London Theatre's Laurence Olivier Bursary Prize 2016.

Matthew Needham will recreate his leading role in the Almeida's production of Summer and Smoke when it transfers to the West End later this year. His recent theatre work also includes The Twilight Zone and The Treatment (Almeida), and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (Globe); he previously appeared at Chichester in Bingo and The Grapes of Wrath.

Isabella Laughland's theatre work includes Cordelia in Chichester's 2013 production of King Lear (with Frank Langella); Pride and Prejudice (Sheffield); The Last of the Haussmans (National Theatre); and Wanderlust at the Royal Court, for which she was nominated for the Evening Standard's Outstanding Newcomer Award. She played Leanne in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Simon Chandler has previously appeared at Chichester in The Stepmother, For Services Rendered and Cavalcade. His extensive screen work includes The Theory of Everything, Mr Turner, The Iron Lady, The King's Speech and The Crown.

Mike Bartlett is one of this generation's leading writers for stage and screen. His award-winning work includes King Charles III (Almeida, West End and BBC) and the hit television series Doctor Foster. The Olivier Award-winning c*ckpremiered at the Royal Court and off-Broadway in 2009.

Kate Hewitt directs. Winner of the JMK Young Director Award and the inaugural RTST Director Award 2016, she was recently named as one of Variety's '10 Brits to Watch in 2017'. Her credits include Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon at Sheffield and Caryl Churchill's Far Away at the Young Vic; future work includes Midsummer (National Theatre of Scotland/Edinburgh International Festival 2018) and Jesus Hopped The A Train (Young Vic 2019).

Contains very strong language and scenes of a sexual nature. Age guideline 16+

Cock will be designed by Georgia Lowe, with lighting by Guy Hoare and sound by Giles Thomas.

The production is sponsored by Genesis Town Planning.

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