Rocketman star Taron Egerton and Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey will play gay men in an upcoming production of the play C*ck in London’s West End this march.
As the title suggests, C*ck follows the woes of a longtime gay couple, played by the two stars. Their relationship takes a surprising turn when one meets a woman whom he actually finds attractive and must choose between a heteronormative life or his longtime love. The subject matter caused its own share of controversy when a workshop version of the play debuted in 2009. Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott played the leads.
Related: Out Netflix star Jonathan Bailey responds to photo of him getting “fluffed” on set
Openly gay actor Bailey defended the play’s subject matter, assuring queer audiences that the piece treats the subject of sexuality with nuance. “The fact is, he doesn’t need to make a decision [about his sexual orientation],” the actor told The Daily Mail. “People identify themselves differently than they did 12 years ago. It was ahead of its time.”
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“[People] are nervous talking about sexual identity and this movement that’s happening at the moment, with opening the binary structure,” he added.
Directed by Marianne Elliott, C*ck runs March 5, 2022 to June 4 at the Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End.
loren_1955
Good. There is a recognition of the possibility of fluidity of our sexual identities. Gaydom is broadly populated by those that were ‘straight’ and even married hetero and later in life became aware of being different/gay. Likewise, more rare, are those that were gay and later in life realized their straight leanings. Instead of mocking we should celebrate each others growth and self awareness.
DarkZephyr
Are you some kind of conversion therapy advocate? People die because of the idea that its a f*cking “choice” or can be changed somehow or at some point or that its some kind of a “phase”.
john.k
Many years ago (1983) I met (and had sex with) a 27 year old Scotsman who was adamant that he had been straight when he was 19.
Jer
I’m one of the former, a long-time straight married man. I realized early in the marriage that I was attracted to men, but rather than risk destroying my marriage, harming my children, and ending my career, I stayed straight. When my wife died, I finally gave in to my natural impulses and began living as a gay male, coming out to those close to me.
I missed out on decades of great gay sex, but on the whole I can’t regret my choices. Now I’m not seeking a love-of-my-life; been there, done that. But I am enjoying the life of a single, experimenting, gay guy. I’ve found a gay community in my city and been welcomed by some really great men. Life was good before; it’s good now.
Mark
Other guy looks like SON OF HUGH JACKMAN WOLVERINE.
And we know how Taron feels about Hugh Jackman…..!
—Didaskalos
SDR94103
gay for pay, nah.
BigJohnSF
He assures queer audiences – but what about gay audiences? Much larger group of people.
dhmonarch89
we don’t count or get an opinion any more.
john.k
Even though I’ve been out for 40 years I’m afraid some of these distinctions/nuances still elude me.
Fahd
A single play that is going to run for 4 months isn’t going to define a group or create or dislodge a stereotype, at least not this single play. Usually a play that is written by a playwright not a corporation like Disney is that one playwright’s point of view. In any case, I hope I get a chance to see it
jthomasmpls
“one meets a woman whom he actually finds attractive and must choose between a heteronormative life or his longtime love.”
It feels bit like an opportunity for bi erasure, I hope not, the character might just be bisexual.
In a recent Gallup report 5..6 percent of Americans identify ( I’m not aware of a recent global study, it would be interesting) as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. That’s up from 4.5 percent in 2017, the last year polling on the issue was conducted by the Gallup. Of those surveyed who identified as LGBTQ, 54.6 percent identified as bisexual. There might more bisexual men than gay men.
OhHellNo
Great. Something else to make straights say “See? It’s a choice.”
DarkZephyr
I don’t get this more recent mentality among certain LGBT people to go out of their way to validate all of the ‘phobes who say that sexuality is malleable and can change. We’re still trying to end the abusive practice of “reparative therapy” and this kind of sh** is no help with that.
But even beyond that… “Their relationship takes a surprising turn when one meets a woman whom he actually finds attractive and must choose between a heteronormative life or his longtime love.”
If he even stops to consider that for a moment, he’s a d*ck.
JTex
There really are some of us who go through this same kind of situation though. I’m one.
From what the article says, the play doesn’t seem to be making the point that sexuality is a choice, but rather that the partner you choose in life is a choice. And that is always true, and that choice is made based on so many different things.
We’re all constantly growing and finding out more about ourselves, and sexuality exists on a spectrum, which means it can also be fluid over time. I don’t think this play is taking away anything from what it means to be gay (one of the main characters seems to be discovering his bisexuality), nor denigrating the harm that the “it’s a choice” mentality has had on gay people.
devinn
Another play I won’t be seeing…
darkanser
I’d hope that the concept of sexual fluidity wouldn’t threaten the societal aspirations of LGBTI people who want to be taken seriously and not seen as people with a pathology that makes them “queer”. There are people who don’t want to accept that people identify as bisexual — saying they have to choose to be either gay or straight.
deann
Bi guys , who are attracted to multiple genders to various degree, can choose to only be with women to gain all the previleges and adventages attached to it. The argument that bi guys can’t predict with whom (whether a man or woman) they are going to end up with is false, like for example gay men can choose which man they are going to date, so similarly bi guys has this control over whom they will end up with. And if dating women will give them every single straight privilege you bet that they will. So even if it is not about choosing their sexuality, bi guys get out of their way to prioritize dating women to gain benefits out of it which is not any better.
deann
I am tired of hearing that
EVERYONEs’ sexuality is fluid and WILL change overtime, it is true that some people are fluid(ambrosexual), but stop claming that it is the rule for everyone. Some people are just gay and their sexuality will never change. I knew that I am only attracted to guys since I was 6, I am now 24 and I am still 100% gay, if sexuality does change over time for EVERYONE then mine would have changed by now but it didn’t and never will. People should acknowlege that some people are just gay period. So stop saying that everyone is fluid and thus implying that gay men will eventually stop being gay because that is not true. And by the way when you push the concept of sexual fluidity onto men who are exclusively gay, it does come out as the “being gay is just a phase/choice” trope. So whenever people want to make a point about sexual fluidity they should acknowledge that not everyone is fluid overwise it will undermind the identidies of gay men.