Following rave reviews from London and a sold-out season in Melbourne, Mike Bartlett’s latest production, Cock, has been equally well-received by Brisbane audiences. Nearing the end of a highly praised season at the La Boite theatre in Kelvin Grove, the play explores the timeworn notion of the love triangle in a fresh, contemporary way.

Although the bold title establishes an expectation for sexual themes and boundary-pushing, the performance was, in fact, heartbreakingly relatable. Exploring themes of love, obligation and fear of the unknown, the play looks at the the sliding scale of identity and sexuality in modern relationships.

Tom Conroy brilliantly portrays the central character of John who, while on a break from his long-term boyfriend, accidentally falls in love with a woman. The boyfriend, played by Eamon Flack, is identified only as ‘M’, presumably for ‘man’, and the woman, played by Sophie Ross, is dubbed ‘W’. John struggles to maintain relationships with both of them, culminating in a dinner party where he is forced to decide between the stagnant relationship in which he has invested himself for seven years and a possible future with a woman who makes him feel important. Pressure builds as M’s father, ‘F’ (played by Tony...