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It's an object of shame and pride; it can inspire laughter and fear; it's a symbol of power, yet it's incredibly fragile and weak; it can be a pound of flesh or an ounce of winkles, it can be used to express both love and hate; it creates life, it can condemn us to death... and it can do wees as well.

How can one tiny flap of sponge and sinew be all these things?

Richard Herring, "The King of Edinburgh" (The List), returns to the Fringe in his Silver Jubilee year (he first performed here in 1987) to find out all about men and their spam javelins, in this reworking of his smash-hit 2002 show, Talking Cock.

Though men may brag and exaggerate about their little chap, they rarely talk honestly about it or their insecurities. Whilst women celebrate their sexuality in worldwide smash The Vagina Monologues, men are twisting their genitals into the shape of hamburgers in Puppetry of the Penis. Isn't it time for the twisting to stop and the schlong celebration to begin. Isn't it time for a Vagina Monologues with balls?

But this is not a competition, more of a quest to bring us all together regardless of sex or sexuality. Talking Cock is a show for men and women, straight and gay, because like Quality Street, genitals are for sharing (and it's annoying when you end up with the green, unpleasant tasting ones) and we all owe our life (in part) to a penis.

Using rigorous research and two anonymous Internet questionnaires (One for men and one for women) this is an hilarious, but serious attempt to get to grips with the bald-headed mouse and discover the sensitive truth about men's secret fears. It also aims to answer questions like:

  • Is size important? And if not, why are there no two-inch, pencil thin vibrators?

  • How can men cope when getting harder is getting harder?

  • Is masturbation exciting because it is sex with someone that you pity?

  • Where have men put their penises for fun? Though it might have been quicker to ascertain where they hadn't put their penises for fun.

"Man's answer to the Vagina Monologues" Guardian

"An impassioned and thoughtful disquisition on masculinity, cultural identity and sexual anthropology... but there are still loads of jokes about porridge guns." Stephanie Merritt, Observer

"His Cock is as funny and fascinating for women as it is for men. I loved it. I only wished it could have been longer" Kate Copstick, Scotsman

"Funny, humiliating, impassioned and weird in equal parts... Splendid!" Stephen Armstrong, Sunday Times

  • Sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe 2002 and Melbourne Comedy Festival 2003

  • Translated and performed in over a dozen European countries

  • The book Talking Cock published by Ebury press, now reprinted and available exclusively from www.gofasterstripe.com

Exeter Express and Echo

Five star review from Chris Hallam

Interview with the North Devon journal

Tony Glynn asks the questions

This Is Nottingham reviews Talking Cock

Steve Oliver reviews with euphemistic ease

Mirror review of Talking Cock

Rob Leigh gives show 4 stars

Walk-in Music

The playlist for the show ( a couple I couldn't identify)

York Press review of Talking Cock

Dan Bean reviews on 10th March 2013

Digital Spy interview

Mayer Nissim interviews 26/11/12

Guardian review of Talking Cock

Brian Logan gives South bank show 4 stars

Brighton Argus review of Talking Cock

Gary Scattergood (I bet he does) reviews

Chortle review of Brighton Cock

Steve Bennett reviews

TNT interview

Alasdair Morton interviews

Spoonfed interview

Emma McAlpine interviews

Londonist interview

Lindsey asks the questions!

The List reviews Talking Cock

Kelly Apter gives show 4 stars

Chortle Review of Talking Cock

4 stars from Corrie Shaw

Three Weeks review of Talking Cock

5 stars from Rachel Aroesti

Broadway Baby reviews Talking Cock

4 stars from Hugh Coles

Fest review of Talking Cock

4 stars from Stevie Martin

Edinburgh is Funny review of Talking Cock

Julian Hall gives his usual 3 stars

Interview with the Skinny

Kirsten Innes asks the questions

List Agony Uncle

29th July 2012 - I answer questions from Fringe newbies

Venue magazine four star review of Talking Cock

Tom Hackett reviews Tobacco Factory Bristol gig 21/7/12

Huffington Post Q&A

20th July 2012

Three Weeks Quiz

18th July 2012

William Cook's views on the Ediburgh Fringe

Don't think this is up already, but nice mention in this 2002 article by William Cook

Review from www.dooyoo.co.uk

A very nice review of the book Talking Cock from a fan called Frankingstein

Talking Cock 2012 brochure

The programme for the 2012 Edinburgh show and 2012/3 tour

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Talking Cock flyer 2012

Talking Cock flyer 2012

The flyer for the Edinburgh Fringe 2012

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Lamp post poster for Talking Cock

Lamp post poster for Talking Cock

This is the design that will be going up on lampposts on the streets of Edinburgh

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Talking C*ck: the Second C*ming

Talking C*ck: the Second C*ming

Censored adverts as insisted upon by the ridiculous idiots at the Fringe programme.

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Talking Cock - second coming

Talking Cock - second coming

Fringe programme ad - final version

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Nearly the final poster for Talking Cock 2012

Nearly the final poster for Talking Cock 2012

Steve Brown's photo and Stephen Newman's design.

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Talking Cock Press

Press from 2002 version of Talking Cock
Seattle Weekly review of Talking Cock book

Seattle Weekly review of Talking Cock book

An ancient article about the American version of my book from the Seattle Weekly paper from November 2004

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Talking Cock - script

Again I think there's a lot of stuff that I ad-libbed missing from this version, but it's 95% the show I used to do. Hope you enjoy it. Warning - contains knob gags

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Programme from Danish Cock show

Programme from Danish Cock show

The programme from "Er Det Storrelsen Det Kommer An Pa?"
Please note free condom given away with each copy.

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Ticket from Danish Cock show

Ticket from Danish Cock show

What a foreign theatre ticket looks like.

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Danish Publicity Material

Danish Publicity Material

Publicity Material for the Danish Cock show, "Er Dat Storrelsen Det Kommer An Pa?"

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Me and the Danish Me, Gordon Kennedy

Me and the Danish Me, Gordon Kennedy

Me and Gordon Kennedy after the Danish premiere of Talking Cock

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Book Review from Singapore

This is a review done by Amelia Yeo, about the book version of Talking Cock

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The Informer - Carlisle newspaper

Here's an article about my gig in Carlisle in the latter part of 2003.

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Programme for French Talking Cock

Programme for French Talking Cock

Very impressive and expensive programme for the French production of "Qu'est-ce que sexe?"
I have omitted several pages of glossy ads and details about the theatre.

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French flyer for Talking Cock

French flyer for Talking Cock

Here's an expensive 4 sided piece of publicity for "Qu'est-ce que sexe?"

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Jeremy and Erik in Antwerp

Jeremy and Erik in Antwerp

Jeremy Herrin, the UK director of Talking Cock and Erik Goris, the Belgian me, raise a toast to the success of De Penis Praat. Jeremy might be remembering a few of the musical numbers as he smiles.

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Talking Cock book reviews

Talking Cock book reviews

Here's what the press have had to say about the book version of Talking Cock

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Reviews of Kikkelikiekuu

Reviews of Kikkelikiekuu

The Finnish Cock reviewed!
Plus a short interview with me in Finnish (I did it in English)

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Finland Flyer

Finland Flyer

The Publicity Flyer for the Kikkelikiekuu.

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Tickets for European versions of Talking Cock

Tickets for European versions of Talking Cock

My tickets from the foreign versions of Talking Cock, which can not possibly be of interest to anyone!

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B Magazine Article

B Magazine Article

An article in B Magazine which is said to have been written by me. This is not true.It was written by a journalist based on a reading of my book and an interview with me. Why they couldn't just say that I don't know. I don't really like it as it messes around with some of the jokes and takes some of the sensitive stuff from the book out of context and includes some jokes that I have never said and would never make. Which would be fine if it just said it was written by someone else.
Plus it pretty much fails to plug the book which was the point of the exercise.
But never mind. Hope you enjoy it.

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Arena Book Preview

Arena Book Preview

A largely unmutilated version of the introduction to Talking Cock the book in Arena magazine.

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Reviews or Pikk Priek

Reviews or Pikk Priek

Reviews from the Norwegian press. Again, mainly of interest to the Norwegian speakers amongst you!

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Programme for Pikk Preik, Norway

Programme for Pikk Preik, Norway

The programme for the Norwegian version of Talking Cock. Most of which will only be interesting to those of you who can speak Norwegian.

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Publicity for Pikk Preik, Norway

Publicity for Pikk Preik, Norway

The advertising flyer for the Norwegian version of the show.

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European Posters For Talking Cock

European Posters For Talking Cock

Here's how our European friends have chosen to interpret the show in poster form.

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Book Press Release

The Press Release for "Talking Cock", the book!

TALKING_COCK_book_press_release.doc

Programme for tour of Talking Cock

Programme for tour of Talking Cock

This is the free programme (apart from the first couple of gigs where I tried to make some money from it) from the UK tour of Talking Cock.
A collection for the Everyman, a cancer charity raised almost £2000.

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Polaroids from the Photo shoot

Polaroids from the Photo shoot

These are two of the test polaroids that were taken at the Talking Cock Photo shoot, and thus very slightly different from the ones you will see in the press!

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Talking Cock - Final Book Cover

Talking Cock - Final Book Cover

The final design for the forthcoming Talking Cock book.

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Talking Cock - Proposed book covers

Talking Cock - Proposed book covers

Early Talking Cock book cover designs - in alphabetical order, as they get closer to being right (which they still aren't).

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Talking Cock - 2003 Tour

Talking Cock - 2003 Tour

Flyer from the 2003 Talking Cock tour.

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