REVIEW: COCK @ COLAB

🎭 Cock

📍 COLAB, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 9HB

🗓 Thursday 23rd April 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

SMALL VENUE, HUGE PACKAGE

I toyed with the idea of clearing my theatre diary this week due to the disruption in London because of the tube strikes, but I decided that this wouldn't stop me from embracing my passion - even if that meant walking to the venue, and having to get a taxi home because the buses were too busy to get on!

I'm so glad I persevered though because last night I was invited to the COLAB Tower to watch and review COCK and listen, I'm just going come out and say it: this was the easiest five stars I've given all year. Brace yourselves because this review is a little bit longer than usual, but there's so much I wanted to say about this incredible production.

The story follows John, a man who has been in a comfortable long term relationship with his boyfriend M. After a brief break, John does the unthinkable - he falls in love with a woman, W. Suddenly he's thrown into a paralysing state of indecision. But this isn't some cliché "tortured bisexual" trope; it's an existential crisis about the metaphorical straitjacket of sexual labels and the absolute mess we make when we try to force human fluidity into neat, binary boxes. John becomes a trophy that's to be fought over and won, and the battle is brutal.

It's rare that you walk into a venue and feel the electricity before a single word is spoken, but Canadian production team Talk Is Free Theatre have brought something truly special to London. Mike Bartlett's play demands intimacy, and with this production you aren't just watching the play; you're practically in the relationship.

The setup is genius. Directed with a total, crystal clear understanding by Dylan Trowbridge, the staging is stripped of absolutely everything. No props. No Set. It is a literal cockfight, and we are the spectators at the edge of the pit. The audience is sat in a single row of seats which create a ring around the stage, occasionally broken when the actors sit amongst us, making the atmosphere thick with tension. I actually found myself holding my breath many times during the night, terrified I'd make a sound!

Regular readers of mine will know how much I love a good bit of technical design, and I absolutely loved the lo-fi, high-concept lighting in this production. Having the actors themselves flip switches on the floor and walls to control the mood through lighting is genius. I also loved how stripped back and simple the design was. Using just white lights keeps the focus directly on the action. This is undeniably a creative masterpiece.

Because there are zero distractions, you find yourself looking directly into the eyes of the actors, witnessing their pupils dilate with rage or well up with tears just inches from your face. This is incredibly powerful, and at times profoundly uncomfortable, but in the best possible way. I felt a bit like a voyeur. An intruder who had entered a deeply private space and was eavesdropping on conversations that were never meant for public ears. It's raw, it's invasive, and it's utterly hypnotic.

What makes this truly mesmerising is the discipline of the performers. When a character hands a bottle of wine to someone, there is no cheesy miming. No invisible glasses or imaginary pouring. Everything - and I do mean everything - is in the words and the intention. By stripping away all the "stuff", Bartlett's engaging, compelling writing is allowed to breathe, forcing you to focus entirely on the human connections happening right in front of you.

The cast are of the absolute highest calibre. Aidan deSalaiz is breathtaking as John. He captures that raw, psychological trauma of being pulled in two directions perfectly. The way John handles the whole situation makes you want to shake him! deSalaiz plays that indecision so well that you almost forget how much of a mess he's making of things. I really felt for him though as he explored the human need to box everything up, and I even found him endearing when he was being less likeable. Those final words to M felt unnecessarily biting, yet true to the character in that moment.

I was completely transfixed by Michael Torontow as M. The man is a powerhouse who completely inhabits his character. I was sitting right next to him during the climactic dinner party from hell, and when he screamed at John to leave the flat, I could sense exactly how broken he was in that moment. The pain was visceral and I felt the gut-punch as I lived that moment of rejection right alongside him.

I adored when Tess Benger swept onto the stage as W, because she shifted the entire dynamic. Her face is so expressive and I could see every thought pattern as she fought for John. Is she a bit manipulative? Absolutely. She accuses M of the very behaviours she's employing herself, but that's the beauty of the play. Everyone is fighting dirty.

Rounding out this stellar company is Kevin Bundy as F, M's father. It's a powerful, straight-talking performance. He joins the fight for John with a fierce loyalty to his son, yet manages to bring a much-needed touch of light-hearted relief to that incredibly tense dinner scene. There were points where he actually reminded me of my own father with his choice of words and his directness.

In the end, John buckles under the pressure and chooses to stay with M. Not necessarily because he loves him more, but because it feels easier to stick to the status quo than to redefine his entire identity. It's actually a haunting conclusion to the evening.

This is bold, brave, and brilliantly executed theatre. It is utterly mesmerising from start to finish. If you can nab one of those 34 seats, then do it. It's an experience that will stay with you long after the lights have clicked off.

COCK runs at COLAB Tower until Saturday 2nd May. CLICK HERE to get your ticket before the ring closes. Honestly, if you think you don't enjoy edgy theatre like this, just go for the acting. It's masterclass level.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Cock was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Aidan deSalaiz as John; Michael Torontow as M; Tess Benger as W; Kevin Bundy as F

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Sexual content

AGE GUIDELINES:

18 +

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