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Jonathan Bailey and Taron Egerton begin rehearsals for West End play Cock

The first image of the cast has been released ahead of the provocatively-titled show's debut in March.

By Will Stroude

Words: Will Stroude; Image: Instagram @cockldnplay

Jonathan Bailey and Taron Egerton have begun rehearsals for the eagerly-anticipated West End stage play Cock.

Bridgerton star Bailey and Rocketman actor Egerton will play a couple whose relationship is thrown into turmoil when one of them “meets the woman of his dreams” in the upcoming London production of Mike Bartlett’s provocatively-titled drama.

On Monday (24 January), social media profiles for the production confirmed that rehearsals were officially underway ahead of opening night on 5 March with the first image of Bailey and Egerton alongside co-stars Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels.

Cock originally debuted in 2009 at Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, with Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott and James Bond’s Ben Whishaw cast in Bailey and Egerton’s roles.

The latest production is directed by Marianne Elliott, who previously directed former Attitude cover star Bailey in an award-winning 2018 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical Company.

An official synopsis of Cock reads: “John (Jonathan Bailey) is happy in himself, and with his boyfriend (Taron Egerton), until one day he meets the woman of his dreams (Jade Anouka).

“In a world full of endless possibilities why must we still limit ourselves with labels?

“Mike Bartlett’s (Doctor Foster) razor sharp play about love and identity redefines the battle of the sexes as we know it.”

Bailey, 33, told the Daily Mail last year that Cock was “ahead of its time” when it was first staged 13 years ago.

The actor, who is gay, added that people are “nervous talking about sexual identity and this movement that’s happening at the moment, with opening the binary structure.”

Cock is at London’s Ambassadors Theatre Saturday 5 March – Saturday 4 June 2022. For tickets click here.