PlayShed's inaugural production of "COCK" by Mike Bartlette, Presented at the MAI (Montreal Arts, Interculturels)

Quebec English Premiere
Directed by 2012 MECCA Winner Liz Valdez, Cock uses sharp, strong dialogue to depict the intricacies of human interaction and sexual confusion.

At the heart of Cock, a dark comedy by the well-known British author Mike Bartlett, is the existential crisis of John. John has been in a stable relationship with his boyfriend for a number of years, but he accidentally falls in love with a woman. Torn between the two, everyone wants to know: Who is John? Is this the woman of his dreams, or is he unconsciously giving in to the desire to live a heteronormative life? Cock, brilliantly questions the dual nature of sexuality and the complexities of love and commitment in the modern world, and prompts a dialogue around identity, categorization, fluidity, and the status quo. This exhilarating and liberating play marks Playshed’s inaugural production.

Playshed was founded in 2014 by artists and Concordia alumni Birdie Gregor, Jimmy Blais and Olivier Lamarche to address unconventional issues from a humanist perspective. Playshed strives to harvest the imagination rather than portray hyperrealism and to seek out points of view that differ from the norm by blending cultures, genders and disciplines.

« In its concentrated mix of physical abstraction and emotional realism, Cock makes for a bracing and powerful tour around pretty elemental material: trust, desire, the slippery self. » – TIME OUT

« With the precious exception of literati like Oscar Wilde and his beloved Bosie, quarreling lovers are never as articulate and entertaining as they are in “Cock,” Mike Bartlett’s provocatively titled play about a gay couple who split up when one of them falls for a woman. » – VARIETY

Starring: Mike Payette, Eloi ArchamBaudoin, Melanie Sirois and Michel Perron
Assistant Directors: Jimmy Blais and Birdie Gregor
Lighting Design: Audrey-Ann Bouchard
Set and Costume Design: Laurence Gagnon
Sound Design: Steve Marsh