Imagine if David Brent busted a few moves and communicated in British Sign Language (BSL) then you get a sense of what BULL was all about.
Like Mamet’s masterpiece Glengarry Glen Ross this was on one level a play about toxic office politics, but also a perceptive examination of power, and more importantly which of the characters had it. What sets BULL apart is that the cast communicate in BSL throughout with hearing members of the audience relying on captions above the stage.
I’d seen a few works at Leeds Playhouse where BSL had been partially integrated but Deafinitely Theatre as the first deaf led company had gone much further as the hearing amongst us found ourselves where people with hearing issues routinely find themselves in theatre land. As director Paula Garfield noted she wanted to examine how language can help people gain power over others, and in BSL that was most definitely further amplified in the hands, faces and bodies of the performers.
Three sales reps were waiting in a dank office on Paul Burgess’ stark stage for the area manager to arrive, and only two of them were walking out with a job. Nervous rep Thomas is tormented by cocky colleagues Tony and Isobel as they wait for area manager Mr Carter to deliver his verdict
It was a sad spectacle all too common in today’s AI obsessed world, and Mike Barlett’s text particularly brave in making none of the four characters even remotely likeable, just like Mamet. It was also an indictment of the prevailing ‘bantz’ culture where idiots can use discriminatory language under the guise of ‘it’s just a bit of fun’.
There were plenty of cringe moments in BULL as power dynamics constantly shift, alongside some funny moments, and a couple of well executed movement sequences that probably seemed a good idea in rehearsals but didn’t quite work onstage. The text and the power of the BSL performers in a relatively short piece made them feel a bit superfluous,
The spindly Ciaran O’Brien used his physicality well as the seeming victim Thomas, although his denial of Isobel’s admission she had been sexually abused revealed a darker side to him. Danny Lee made a strong professional debut as the oily Tony who delighted in discomforting Thomas, but was put in his place when the real alpha dog Carter finally turned up. The experienced David Sands as Carter brought a dark edge to an already charged situation.
The star of the show was Jasmine Whipps as Isobel who skilfully manipulates the other three, and brought a genuine darkness to the final section as she was revealed as the real psychopath. The quartet’s powerful and emotionally charged signing added a genuine depth to roles that were all challenging in very different ways.
Anyone who has ever worked in an office will have met at least one of these characters who will do anything to get one over on someone else. BULL was a salient reminder that these monsters do use language to get their way but like all bullies can be faced down by positive words.
Reviewer: Paul Clarke
Reviewed: 24th September 2026
North West End UK Rating: