Cock 

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When John takes a break from his boyfriend, he accidently meets the girl of his dreams. Filled with guilt and indecision, how will he straighten this out?

The lives of those around him are disrupted when John refuses to fix his identity; though perhaps not as much as John's life is unsettled when others insist he must make a choice.

Mike Bartlett's metrosexual play about love and longing provides a blueprint as to who we are and who we want to be in this punchy story of sex without nudity and struggle without violence.

The play takes a candid look at one man's sexuality and the difficulties that can arise when you realise there are options.

Cock is a story of love, identity, labels and the consequence of indecision. 

Cock is a one act play split into 3 chapters total time approx 1hr 40 mins. 

Directors Notes

Cock was written in 2008 and as with all modern-day scripts I firstly ask myself how would these character's have changed between then and today. It's always important to keep the story relevant. In 2024 sexual identity has certainly progressed, more groups are recognised and celebrated and more information is out in the public domain. In turn I think we have also become a little more obsessed about which new label fits each individual (what do they identify as?). Remember the fuss last year around Heartstopper's Kit Connor and what his sexuality was after being photographed arm in arm with a female in London. The 18yo actor was put under so much pressure unnecessarily. 

Cock has previously been billed as "John's inability to label his sexuality and the impact that has on those around him" but in 2024 we also wanted to look at the other 3 characters obsession to force John to label himself and the impact that has on him. 

The writer, Mike Bartlett, calls for no scenery, no furniture, no props and no miming. How do you stage a dinner party for 4 without all that? You're about to find out! 

I've been so fortunate to assemble such an enormously talented cast. Stephen, Andrew, Grace and Richard know their characters well and worked very hard during rehearsal to bring you a great performance. It's a delicious script, full of laughs, drama, sex and love. 

It would be my wish that after seeing this play, we all become a little more aware of the dangers of labels and a little less obsessed about everyone's sexuality and just treat people as people. 

Have a fun night! x 

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Stephen Schofield

John

Stephen Schofield is an actor, writer, singer, mover, director, and producer. Originally from Sydney, he has worked in both theatre and film since 2008. Since graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts in 2019, Stephen’s most recent leading credits include the award-winning ‘The Easy Part’ (short, Cirocco Media); ‘Lucid Dreaming’ (feature, Frankie Films); the five star -The Advertiser- one person show ‘The Wilkins Trilogy: Part One’ (theatre, Palmerston Projects); ‘Cock’ (theatre, Boyslikeme Productions). Stephen has also appeared in supporting/extra roles, including ‘The White Mouse’ (theatre, Palmerston Projects); ‘The Royal Hotel’ (feature, See-Saw Films); ‘The Tourist’ (tv, All3Media International); ‘The Stranger’ (feature, See-Saw Films). He will be appearing in ‘The Silent Man’ (feature, Daniel Blatch). Stephen is also producing a show in 2025.

Andrew Lindqvist

M

Andrew graduated from NIDA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art. His theatre credits include Salome, Nana, One For The Road, As You Like It, Flight, Noises Off, and Pains Of Youth for NIDA, Howl (NIDA/Theatre Works, Melbourne/National Portrait Gallery, Canberra), Earth (Superhero Clubhouse - Governor's Island, New York), Neighbourhood Watch (Illuminate Educate - Bondi Pavilion), The Canterbury Tales (New Theatre), Threnody (Vanguard) Chain Play (Sydney Fringe) Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Mad March Hare Theatre - Old Fitz Theatre) for which he received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination, Nordic Noir - Sydney Hall, and The Disappearance - Chippen St Theatre. His film credits include: The Screaming Silent, The Party, Smile Naturally, Teenage Kicks & Here Out West. In television: Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures and web series, Shit Creek.

Grace Stamnas

W

Grace Stamnas is a graduate of both NIDA’s BFA Acting (2022) and Diploma of Musical Theatre (2017) courses. She has performed in numerous theatre productions around the country, her highlights include Australian Theatre for Young People’s (ATYP) production of Intersection 2019: Arrival at the Griffin Theatre, and two Little Eggs Collective productions: Pinocchio, which won two Sydney Fringe Festival Awards, and the sold-out season of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, at King’s Cross Theatre. Grace's creative abilities are not limited to performance; her role as a Movement Coach for Symphonie Fantastique led to a remarkable journey with seven Sydney Theatre Award nominations, securing four wins, including Best Independent Production for 2021. Upon graduating from NIDA, Grace was awarded with the 2022 Keith Bain OAM Award for Movement, acknowledging her tenacity, discipline, and a risk-taking spirit as an artist. In her first year out of NIDA, she ventured into voice-over narration for interactive exhibits, and performed in five short films. Several of these films have earned recognition, being selected by film festivals around the country. Grace is also a teaching artist at St Vincents College, NIDA Open and JMC Academy.

Richard Cotter

F

Richard recently played in the classic, LOVE LETTERS by A.R. Gurney. For Subtlenuance he played Pope Gregory in their acclaimed remount of Paul Gilchrist's CATHERINE AT AVIGNON. For the last number of seasons for Crying Chair Theatre he appeared as Ray Bold in Paul Rogers' BIG HORN, Birdman in HOPE SONG and Stanley in MARBLES. For New Theatre he has appeared as Stalin in COLLABORATORS, Sir Oliver in SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL and Cornwall in KING LEAR. For Squabbelogic THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT. Film and Television credits include; Ozmar, Victim, Unchartered, A Clean Well Lighted Place, Zabobon, Orders from Above, Roller Coaster Testers, Talons & Tampons, Parisian Jam, Dogs Breakfast, Les Norton, Australian Gangster, Underbelly : Razor, A Place to Call Home, Rake, Love Child, Big Sky, All Saints and Murder Call.

Darrin Redgate

Director

Darrin studied acting at both the University of Technology and the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art where he graduated with a Diploma. Darrin’s stage roles include ‘Ubu’, ‘Annie’s Coming Out’, ‘Gross Indecency’, ‘Heir Raising,' the lead role of Clarrie in 3 seasons of Barry Lowe’s ‘Seeing Things’ and as Adam in the Sydney and Melbourne seasons of 'Next Fall.' Rehearsed play readings also include 'Love Valour Compassion' 'A Prehistoric Ritual' and 'Boys in the Band'. Director credits include; 'Seeing Things' Retro Me' 'Still at Risk' 'Next Fall' 'An Unseasonable Fall of Snow' and the Adelaide season of 'Cock' Darrin will also Direct the production of 'Wife' at The New Theatre in October this year. Darrin spent a couple of years on radio including his own late-night show and host of the 1990’s Sydney gay radio program ‘WILD GALS’.

Casey Moon-Watton

Set and Light Design

Casey has been involved theatre for a lot of years, performing more jobs for more productions than he can remember. His was seen twice last year at Flight Path Theatre lighting Cate Fucking Blanchett, and Teenage Dick. He has taken on many other roles for various community and independent Theatre groups, including Sound Design (33 Variations, A Letter from the General, The Woman in Black), Lighting (Gaslight, 33 Variations, Moonlight & Magnolias, Death Knell, Entertaining Angels), Prop Design & Build, (Entertaining Angels, Titanic: The Movie, The Play), Special Stage Effects (Female of the Species), Set Design (Appleton Ladies Potatoe Race, Death Knell), Directing (Goodbye Mrs Blore, It’s My Party, Proof, The Sum of Us, The Boys, After Dinner), Production & Stage Management and almost all the jobs in between. He was also seen lurking around a lifeboat elsewhere this Sydney Fringe with Act/React's Titanic: The Movie, The Play, jumping on a bus for the Melbourne Fringe with Speed: The Movie, The Play. He is currently directing The Spook for Pymble Players, and his love of ham sandwiches is legendary.

Seren Liu

Light and Sound Operator

Seren Liu is an emerging Chinese-born theatre technician in sound, lighting and production assisting. Most of her credits were for student theatre in the University of Sydney, including sound designing for Science Revue 2022: ABsCience, SUDS 2023 slot 1: The Glass Menagerie and production assistant/1st AD for PoC Revue 2023: The Family Reunion. Her first venture into professional theatre happened with Watch Me Sleep during Sydney Fringe 2023, where she was the solo crew member doing sound and lighting operating. This show will be her second professional credit.

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