Keerthi Sudhakar Vasishta

The lights went off at 8.15pm. From 8pm, the thrust stage surrounded by a standing audience. The greeting was watching Thomas intently (Kit Redding) eating a sandwich. It was an intriguing sight. No one could decide if the sandwich and coffee were a part of the play or if the actor was having some late supper. Indeed, as two coffee cups seeped into the play, once could not say for when the performance actually began- with the coffee or the sandwich? The uncertainty summarises postmodern theatre and Bull in a nutshell.

Directed by Giorgia Laird, this performance of Bull was slick and entertaining. Kit Redding as Thomas, Tom Cain as Tony and Anna Birokos as Isobell were near pitch perfect with their characterisation, as was Thomas Bracewell’s Carter. Running close to 55 minutes, Bull held the audience’s attention with its dark-humour and razor-sharp exchanges. The small theatre created an intimate setting, almost too intimate and allowed for a probing examination of Thomas horrendous experiences.

Laird’s Director’s notes suggests that- ‘At the heart of this play is toxic dialogue, heartless characters fuelled by ambition, and a ruthless workplace environment.’ The viciousness in the portrayal of the workplace bullies Tony and Isobell as they try to trick and push Thomas out of a job embodied Laird’s observation. Isobell’s masochistic style was truly bone-chilling as she broke the fourth-wall regularly from all corners of the black-box stage. The competition to get two jobs between three members of the same team drives the plot. But it is not really ‘driving’ the plot. From the get-go, the result of the competition seems to be a foregone conclusion. Thomas is manipulated by Tony’s a disturbingly playful roguishness. Tony is clearly a critique of the toxic banter-at-all-costs culture that is facilitated by a toxic workplace environment. Isobell is a siren, tempting Thomas with a suggestive tone but obviously poisonous to his every move. At the very beginning, she tells Thomas that he is wearing the wrong suit and that there is a blotch on his right cheek. Tony piles on when he joins them. It is only when Carter (Bracewell) suggests Thomas isn’t wearing his best suit that Thomas accepts the criticism. The blotch may well be a bit of fiction from Isobell to taunt the obviously underconfident and working-class Thomas. The audience are held away from verifying the conceit by the lack of makeup and a near absence of any props in the office environment. Moreover, the audience, exposed to the manipulative ways of Isobell and Tony’s active support is left in as much doubt as poor Thomas. Isobell is tragic in her own way. She claims she was abused by her father and cannot seem to find any sympathy for Thomas as she mentally abuses him. She accuses Thomas of inappropriate sexual advances while flirtily rubbing her face against Tony’s bare torso in front of Thomas. Yet, you can feel her wounded, when she sees Thomas using some very sexist language against her connoting the immensely flawed characters being portrayed.

The tale of bullying is based on the elitism and snobbery that dominates corporate culture. The heartlessness of its characters is centred around a dog-eat-dog capitalist mentality which Thomas lacks and therefore falls prey to. Isobell, near the end of the play, confessing her active bullying of Thomas, claims she cannot help but be terrible to Thomas. She feels no guilt either- she says: ‘if not me, someone else would do the same’. The elitism is also accompanied by the stigmatisation of teetotallers. Thomas’ reluctance to consume alcohol results in him being excluded from all social situations. Desperate to retain his job, Thomas decides to begin drinking to stay in Carter’s good books which results in his getting mocked further.

Bull is a complex play. Director Laird, Assistant director Charlie Howe and the background producers and technical team have done a tremendous job of reading between the lines. The near absence of props on stage was very effective and added a layer to the performance. It elevated the very real and terrifying workplace environment into a meta-commentary on the culture of the capitalist, corporate workplace. Thomas became the audience because this was his nightmare being staged, as if it was a play-by-play depiction of a dream sequence with the worst versions of people playing deviltries on one man. The timing of the cruel humour, in terms of delivery in this staging amplified the mockery Thomas feels through this nightmare. While the play is originally written by an experienced playwright lacks stage-direction, the young director and her team her interpreted it with great swagger and elance.

One cannot rave enough about Kit Redding’s performance as Thomas. It may well have been the perfect casting choice. Redding’s style of dialogue delivery made him stand out, even with a very talented co-cast. His uncertainty and emotive body language played very well in capturing the essence of the very-underconfident Thomas. Isobell is all the things you have seen, like to see and would hate to be. Birokos reminds you of the all those female political manipulators from history and media. She’s got the bone-chilling smile epitomising the femme fatale but retains a uniqueness. Her naturalistic style of performance was remarkable. Tom Cain as Tony plays the brute convincingly as does Bracewell playing Carter.

There were some occasional slip-ups with the dialogue and inconsistent characterisation. But it would be harsh to pay too much attention to that while watching a very complex piece of writing come to life. That would be missing the point, completely!

Hidayat Malik’s lighting is subtle and simple. Stage Manager Lamesha Ruddock and Producer Ellie Fidler’s contribution must be acknowledged.

Laird claims in the director’s notes to this production of Bull that her team aimed at precision. Fourth Wall Theatre’s Wednesday’s performance was indeed very precise in leaving the audience exactly as the director promised.

Laughing and not happy with themselves for doing so.

Bull is playing at Mark Hilary Arts Centre on 8th ,9th and 10th December, 2021.