JERKER Is Coming to the Waterloo East Theatre

From the producer of F**king Men, Afterglow (2019), and Happy Ending comes the 40th anniversary production of “Jerker”, by Robert Chesley, alternatively titled “The Helping Hand, A Pornographic Elegy with Redeeming Social Value and A Hymn to the Queer men of San Francisco in Twenty Telephone Calls, Many of them Dirty,” making its highly anticipated Waterloo East Theatre premiere this Autumn with a limited 3-week run from September 26.

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JERKER is a daring and seductive two-person drama about two strangers who connect through a series of late-night phone calls.

Considered Robert Chesley’s most celebrated play JERKER begins as an anonymous exchange of mutual fantasy, before quickly becoming something deeper.

Through highly erotic shared fantasies, including woodland jerk off sessions, Bert and J.R build an unexpected relationship at a time when physical contact is risky.

Set long before the days of dick pics and hookup apps, and during a time of immense fear – both for health consequences and oppression by the authorities – JERKER delivers an often pornographic yet deeply emotional depiction of male sexuality in the 1980s.

Hidden from each other’s sight, the men begin to reveal secrets, fears, and longings through nothing but their voices. Each call pulls them further into an intimate world where imagination becomes a lifeline, where the line between fantasy and genuine connection blurs, raising the question of who they really are to one another.

Playful, provocative, and unexpectedly tender, the play explores how intimacy can grow in isolation. It’s a steamy, suspenseful journey into desire, vulnerability, and the power of being heard.

Jerker starts previews at London’s Waterloo East Theatre from Saturday, 26th September 2026, until Sunday 18th October.

Use Code: BuddyBate20 for a discount.