Hope Street star Warren McCook is tackling sexual consent in a new show inspired by the Ulster Rugby rape trial.
The actor stars in Wasted, about a couple who get so drunk they can’t work out if the woman consented to sex.
Over 24 hours they run through the ‘what if’ scenarios of going to the police in the hard-hitting drama from award-winning writer Kat Woods.
For Warren it’s a huge help that his real-life partner Sharon Duffy shares the stage with him as Emma, who’s desperately trying to work out what happened during the night before with Oli.
“I know there have been court cases where situations like this have happened,” says Warren.
“They both get wasted and the grey area is where they’ve consumed so much alcohol how aware are they of each other’s circumstances, and what is consent and was it given.
“The Ulster Rugby rape trial was part of the inspiration for Kat, and the idea of going out for a night and drinking so much alcohol you can’t really remember what happened the night before.”
The rugby rape trial dominated the headlines for weeks in 2018 when Ulster players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were accused of rape. They were both acquitted, however the case sparked a huge outcry over the treatment of rape complainants, particularly on social media, and led to a review by Sir John Gillen of the handling of sexual offence trials.
“That ‘what if’ scenarios are what would happen to Emma if she was to report it and what would happen to Oli,” says Warren.
“Over a 24-hour period they have no contact with each other but they’re each asking ‘what’s she thinking?’ and ‘what’s he thinking?’ and only the audience know.
Sharon and Warren in Wasted
“Being partners with Sharon helps because we know each other, and in the explicit scenes you’re more comfortable with someone you know,” he says.
Warren’s also found more people want to get to know him after his lead role in The Glenarma Tapes, a found-footage horror set in a remote forest on the north coast, where a group of students mysteriously vanished.
It won the Belfast Film Festival Best Picture in 2022 and it’s already been released in the US and Japan.
“I’ve had message requests from people in America and Japan who like the film, who said they couldn’t believe I’d responded to them.
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“It’s had really good reviews, and I’m hoping it gets a UK release because I’d love my friends and family to see it.
“It was my first feature film lead role and I had a great time on set.”
He’d already worked with the film’s villain, Steven Calvert on The White Handkerchief, a play based on the events of Bloody Sunday, when Warren played William McKinney alongside Steven as Soldier F, who’s currently facing two murder charges, including the killing of William.
Poster for ‘Wasted’
“I have a plaque that was given to me by the McKinney family, who were so lovely to me,” says Warren.
“They gave it to me as thanks for playing William and that was like a Bafta to me.
“You want to do the show and yourself justice but it’s for the family more than anything.”
Warren also got the star treatment on Hope Street as a shady businessman whose uninsured boat blows up.
He was welcomed with open arms on to the set by veterans Kerri Quinn and Niall Wright.
“Kerri was so lovely to me. She introduced me to all the cast, including Rachel Tucker. I’m a massive fan of Rachel’s after seeing her in Wicked in London so I was a bit of a fanboy,” says Warren.
Wasted from Bruiser Theatre Company premieres on September 5 at the Theatre at the Mill in Newtownabbey and then on tour before opening at the MAC on September 25.