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OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER
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What is the story behind Jock Night?
Jock Night is a sexy, funny, and unashamedly queer night out. It celebrates LGBTQ+ culture, icons and obsessions — from Victoria Wood to Barbara Knox — and centres a group of characters you’d want to spend time with, laugh with, maybe even cry with. It’s a celebration of queer friendships, relationships, and the chosen families we build — with all the joy, chaos and vulnerability that comes with them.
At the same time, the play shines a light on the struggles many face in silence, behind closed doors. It explores chemsex, addiction, and mental health in a way that’s non-judgmental, drawing on real interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s not about preaching or blaming — it’s about starting conversations that still aren’t happening enough in our community. I hope it brings people together, and gets them talking
Was it easy to cast?
Casting any production comes with its challenges, but we’ve been incredibly fortunate to assemble a cast that not only connects with the material but with each other. Jock Night demands authenticity—it’s raw, intimate, and deeply rooted in lived experience. It's about finding artists who are willing to be open, collaborative, and vulnerable in the rehearsal room. This cast brings that in abundance.
David - you are returning to Jock Night. What made you decide to come back?
I'm super excited to be stepping back into my jock strap and harness to play Ben in Jock Night again. I had such a blast during the last run of the show. It was such a joyful experience, and audiences responded really well to the characters and their stories. I think everyone could recognise something familiar on stage, and that's where a lot of the comedy comes from, it's often laughs of recognition, even when it comes to the darker themes we explore. I personally know a young man who we lost recently, in his early 20s and his whole life ahead of him. It just broke my heart that he's gone. As queer people, growing up feeling excluded, often we're just seeking intimacy and connection, and drugs and sex offer a powerful shortcut to someone hungry for connection. We have to care for each other, and I hope that's what people take away from the show.
Matthew & Gabrial - what attracted you to be in Jock Night?
Gabriel: I was really excited about the opportunity to push myself as an actor, and the chance to take a character whose innocence and naivety serve as the audiences eyes into the world of Jock Night. It’s a great challenge to portray such a sensitive story of growth and maturity over the course of the plays two acts. What I really love about the show is the depth of the relationships and the humour that Adam and the team at Hive North have brought, every character has a chance to shine and we’re all revelling in the richness and love at the heart of this story! I can’t wait to share this with the audiences in Manchester and London, for the characters and the audiences it’ll definitely be a jock night to remember!
Matthew: I’m doing the show because I have been through a lot of the stuff that the play addresses, and I continue to work in the addiction space, volunteering as a chemsex keyworker. I decided to do the play because I am excited by the idea of bringing an extremely niche taboo topic (chemsex in the gay community) to such a mainstream, accessible, traditional medium like theatre. Despite being nearly 10 years sober myself, I still have moments where I really appreciate just how brave a project this is for me to take on and why it’s such an important story to tell.
All the cast spend the time in Jocks. How easy was that for the cast?
We’re currently in the thick of rehearsals, and as we move into the more intimate elements of the play, the trust between the cast becomes even more essential. Until now, we’ve been marking those moments lightly to allow space for comfort and boundaries. With the support of an intimacy director, we’re ensuring that every actor feels safe, supported, and empowered. The atmosphere in the room is open and respectful—there’s a real sense of ensemble, and the cast are handling these scenes with professionalism and care.
Jock night tackles some tough subjects. How important is it to show this side of LGBTQ+ life?
It’s absolutely vital. Right now, the LGBTQ+ community is facing increasing hostility from politicians and sections of the media. In that climate, it’s more important than ever to tell stories that are truthful and unflinching. Jock Night delves into subjects like chemsex, shame, stigma, and HIV—but it does so with compassion, humour, and a refusal to judge. It doesn’t moralise; it reflects. That’s what makes it powerful. Theatre has the ability to hold up a mirror to the world, and sometimes the reflections are messy, complex, and beautiful all at once. That’s the world of Jock Night. It shines a light on the stories that are so often left in the dark—and it does so with wit, humanity, and heart.
Where can people see Jock Night and get tickets?
Jock Night is playing at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, from 20th – 31st May before heading to London’s Seven Dials Playhouse from 3rd – 15th June. Tickets from www.hivenorth.co.uk/jocknight
CAST PICTURES: Dawn Kilner
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