Jonathan Bailey, who plays aristocratic rake Anthony Bridgerton in the television hit of the same name, and Hollywood leading man Taron Egerton, will star in a provocatively titled play about sexual identity and gender labelling, opening in the West End in the spring.
The two hot young stars have been brought together by Marianne Elliott, the director whose recent, award-winning successes includes the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which starred Rosalie Craig, Patti LuPone and Bailey.
Elliott said when she approached Bailey about the idea, she told him to run a bath, pour himself a glass of wine and read Mike Bartlett’s play Cock, which premiered at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs 12 years ago with Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott in the lead roles. (The hot priest actor spoke with Egerton to share his experience of playing M in the original production; it helped that they share the same agent, Lindy King.)
Jonathan Bailey, who plays aristocratic rake Anthony Bridgerton in the television hit of the same name, and Hollywood leading man Taron Egerton, will star in a provocatively titled play about sexual identity and gender labelling, opening in the West End in the spring
Bailey, speaking from a villa in Tuscany, clarified Elliott’s instructions: ‘She added: “Don’t panic when you read it!” ’
He joked that he was enjoying a short, ‘illicit vacation’, during a rare break from filming the second season of Netflix smash Bridgerton, which will primarily focus on his character.
Cock, said Bailey, is ‘the study of one man’s sexuality’. That man is John — the only one of the play’s four characters to be named. His boyfriend bears the initial M, while the woman he’s had an intimate relationship with is known as W. M’s father is F. Those roles are being played by Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels.
Back in 2009, some saw the drama as a debate about John’s inability to decide who he should go with. But times have changed, Bailey argued. ‘
Taron Egerton is pictured above. The two hot young stars have been brought together by Marianne Elliott, the director whose recent, award-winning successes includes the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which starred Rosalie Craig, Patti LuPone and Bailey
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