Jock Night, the hit 2023 play which explores the seedy underworld of Manchester‘s Gay Village, is coming back to a theatre near you this summer – and with a brand new cast of hunks to boot.
The show, which was written by Adam Zane and features its cast wearing little more than a jockstrap and harness for most of the play, promises to explore “thought-provoking issues in the LGBTQ+ community through the lens of comedy and compassion.”
The play, which will be staged at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, followed by a run at the Seven Dials Playhouse in London, explores themes of sex, intimacy and addiction in the gay community.
Joining the new cast is Matthew Mitcham, aka the first openly gay man to win an Olympic gold medal. Mitcham made his UK stage debut in the 2023 gay play Strangers In Between.
In recent years Mitcham has attracted attention for his burgeoning OnlyFans career. The athlete, who has been open about his own struggles with drug abuse in the past, commented on the casting: “When I was asked to audition for the role of Simon (the drug addict has-been) my first thought was ‘typecast’!”
“Drug addiction and sex addiction are both powerful in their own right, but chemsex addiction is exponentially more insidious,” he went on to say. “And the taboo nature of both sex and drugs makes it extremely difficult for people to reach out for help.
“I’m hoping this play will leave a lasting impression where it’s needed most,” Mitcham concluded.
Also on board is Hollyoaks star Gabriel Clark, and stage actors Eddie Ahrens and James Colebrook. Holby City actor David Paisley will also reprise his role from the 2023 run of Jock Night as Ben. Paisley was previously honoured at the Attitude Pride Awards in 2021 for his contributions to diversity and inclusion.
“I’m super excited to be stepping back into my jock strap and harness to play Ben in Jock Night again,” Paisley commented. “I had such a blast during the last run of the show.”
“The show charts the lives of five men involved in the clubbing and chemsex scene in Manchester, across several months of a year,” Paisley said. “It’s a topic that feels increasingly relevant as chemsex has had some media attention lately, after years of being a bit of a hidden epidemic.”
Jock Night will run from 20 – 31 May in Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, and from 3 – 15 June in the Seven Dials Playhouse in London. Tickets are available to purchase here.
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