andrewscottfans | The Wonders Of Andrew Scott's Cock (and yes that's the actual title of the article)

One of the most exciting things about going to the theatre is discovering wonderful talents you have never seen before. There are so many actors in the UK and so few who work all the time that it's pretty much a given you'll see a fair few new faces at every production. This was the case for me with the Royal Court's Cock, which I saw last Friday. Starring Ben Whishaw, Katherine Parkinson, AnDrew Scott and Paul Jesson, it has attracted a very mixed crowd due to the names involved as well as its provocative title, and sold out barring returns. In the toilets pre-show, I heard two young girls chatting about the performance. "I was going to cancel," one said, "but then I realised it had people off the telly in it." Sigh.

Anyway, my point was not to talk about the depressing way many of us make our theatregoing choices, but to talk about new faces. Although Whishaw and Parkinson are certainly recognisable thanks to their respective appearances in Brideshead Revisited and The IT Crowd, and while both gave strong performances, it was 33-year-old Scott who really impressed.

His frustrated and angry portrayal of M, betrayed by his partner and desperately trying to cling on, was so perfectly nuanced, his physicality so well balanced against Whishaw's that you almost forgot he was playing a part, despite the intimate atmosphere and claustrophobic staging.

Like Dominic Rowan, who sparkled as Touchstone in the Globe's As You Like It this summer, or Edward Bennett, who gave an incredible performance in the RSC's Hamlet after David Tennant injured his back, Scott had previously flown under my theatre radar, but no more. It really is quite thrilling when you discover someone truly fantastic - Scott has now firmly ensconced himself on my list of 'ones to watch'.

Source: Broadwayworld.com