Almost unremittingly bleak, it is easy to think that in these supposedly more enlightened times, it would be difficult for managers in any corporate office to get away with the sort of behaviours exhibited in this play. Not so: those in the corridors of power know how to navigate legislation and even use it to their advantage, regardless of whether laws were passed to protect workers’ rights. This production is a tad longer than the hour-long running time of previous productions of this show, as the whole thing is delivered in British Sign Language. A common complaint amongst people in the D/deaf community is that hearing people who have learned BSL have a tendency to sign too quickly, perhaps inadvertently going at a similar pace to spoken conversation. This might go some way to explaining how relatively slowly proceedings went for this speaking reviewer.
It didn’t particularly help that the surtitled captions didn’t always proceed at the same pace as the signed on-stage performances – occasionally, entire paragraphs of text were missed as the displayed words were rushed through. I doubt it was because the signing cast were signing too quickly! The play sees Thomas (Ciaran O’Breen), Isobel (Jasmine Whipps) and Tony (Danny Lee) dressed smartly. A redundancy process is taking place, and their boss, Carter (David Sands), will be making a decision as to who, in his choice of vocabulary, is to be culled. There is only funding for two of the three team members to retain their jobs.
When Isobel and Tony start rounding up on Thomas, it becomes clear very quickly who is going to be told to clear their desk. But while the conclusion was predictable, the narrative arc was less so. But the use of sign language brought an extra dimension to proceedings. If the odd few lines here and there were on display for the hearing community for too short a period of time to read through properly, the experiences of the D/deaf community in everyday life are considerably worse. Consider, for instance, as a fellow theatregoer pointed out before the show started, how would the D/deaf people in the audience know if the fire alarm went off? A tongue-in-cheek comment perhaps (and, of course, if it happened during the show, the cast would use sign language to say the performance was being paused because we all needed to evacuate), but one that bears thinking about. Gatekeeping of information was a contributing factor in Thomas losing his livelihood: Tony was told by Carter to tell the team what was required before the team meeting, but Tony told Isobel but not Thomas. The unprepared team player was therefore disadvantaged.
This production is the first time Whipps and Lee have taken on lead roles in a play, and they are remarkably convincing, even as thoroughly dislikeable characters who really do seem to get up in the morning with a mind to make other people’s working lives as miserable and intolerable as possible. It is tempting to think that the conduct of the characters in this show was exaggerated for dramatic effect. That may be true, but the toxic workplace dynamics here are fairly commonplace and experienced by more people than one might expect, because it is relatively easy to get a job in such a workplace, on account of good workers leaving and positions frequently becoming available. There are implications beyond the workplace in this intense depiction of a dog-eat-dog world. An unsettling portrayal of conniving collusion as the ugly face of capitalism is on full display.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Bull is a strained and unsettling examination of workplace bullying, power and survival. As pressure builds, alliances shift and cruelty surfaces, exposing a system where fear thrives and empathy disappears.
Sharp, darkly funny and deeply uncomfortable, Bull lays bare the human cost of a working culture shaped by competition, hierarchy and silence. How far will people go to protect themselves?
Ciaran O’Breen – Thomas
Danny Lee – Tony
David Sands – Carter
Jasmine Whipps – Isobel
Mike Bartlett – Writer
Paula Garfield MBE – Director
Raffie Julien – Associate Director
Paul Burgess – Set and Costume Designer
Deafinitely Theatre, Birmingham Rep and Park Theatre present
BULL
Park Theatre
30 September to 24 October 2026
