Taron Egerton will be missing a week of performances in the West End production of COCK after testing positive for COVID-19.
The show’s producers confirmed the news in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “Taron Egerton has unfortunately tested positive for Covid,” the statement says. “In accordance with the production’s health & safety protocols, he will now isolate and we expect Taron to return to the show next week.”
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In the meantime, Egerton’s character, M, will be played by understudy Joel Harper-Jackson. The announcement marks the second time the Rocketman star has experienced a performance disruption while starring in the West End production since the show opened on March 5.
During COCK‘s opening night, the actor collapsed suddenly towards the end of show and was attended to by a doctor in the audience. Egerton took a break to rest and recover while director Marianne Elliott confirmed to the audience that Harper-Jackson would complete the last 15-minutes of the play.
“I am completely fine,” Egerton wrote in an Instagram story published the following day. “Slightly sore neck and a bruised ego but I’m fine.”
Egerton thanked Harper-Jackson for stepping in to replace him and returned to the show for its next performance.
COCK centers on Josh, a gay man played by Jonathan Bailey, who begins to question his sexuality when he falls in love with a woman, “W,” eventually becoming torn between her and his boyfriend only known as “M.” The play officially opened on March 15 at the Ambassadors Theatre, is written by Mike Bartlett and also stars Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels.
