BULL

by Mike Bartlett

A Mockingbird Too production

Director: Céline Oudin

Season: 15-18 July, 2026 at The Mockingbird Studio, Belconnen Arts Centre

The performance will run for approximately 60 minutes with no interval

MOCKINGBIRD’S 29th PRODUCTION

By Arrangement with ORiGiN™ Theatrical, on behalf of RIGHTS HOLDER

Synopsis

WELCOME TO THE RING. ONLY ONE SURVIVES.

A lean, brutal modern classic — a companion piece to C*ck, turning the workplace into a gladiatorial arena.

Just two weeks after staging Bartlett’s C*ck, we turn to Bull — an elemental, unflinching exploration of power, survival and psychological warfare in a boardroom-as-arena. If C*ck interrogates identity and desire, Bull rips open the raw mechanics of social ranking: who wins, who loses, and what lengths we go to in order to survive.

Written by the same bold voice, Bull stands today as a seminal modern classic of contemporary drama — compact, merciless, and etched with brutal clarity. Bartlett himself originally conceived it in conversation with C*ck — they share casting shape, thematic symmetry and a merciless aesthetic. It’s also very funny.

Set in any grey-lit office, three colleagues await a meeting with their boss — one of them will be culled. From the start, the cruelty is ritualised: whispers, insinuations, triangulation, humiliation. The tension tightens until the final moments feel less like resolution and more like exposure.

“Fast-paced, fanged and darkly funny … BULL charges and makes impact.” — New York Daily News 

From the Director:

There is something unsettling about watching a contest. Whether it is a boxing match, a courtroom, a reality television show, a political debate or a bullfight, we instinctively choose sides. We anticipate the next blow. We wait for someone to falter. We tell ourselves we are merely observers, yet the show only exists because there is an audience.

That paradox was at the heart of Mike Bartlett’s inspiration for Bull. During a playwright exchange in Mexico, he attended a Spanish bullfight that left him both fascinated and disturbed. It led him to ask why people are so captivated by the ceremony while simultaneously recoiling from its cruelty. His answer became Bull, transplanting the rituals of the corrida into an office that functions as its own arena. 

From the moment I first read Bull, I was struck by its extraordinary precision. There are no swords here. No blood. No charging animal. Instead, language becomes the weapon, and every silence can be just as corrosive as spoken words. Beneath its wit lies an unsettling examination of bullying, conformity, ambition and the ease with which people can become complicit in another person’s humiliation. 

If you saw Cock, brilliantly directed by Zac Bridgman and presented here earlier this month, you may notice that both productions share common parameters: the set is a boxing ring, and no props are used at all. Although each story is very different, there is an intriguing conversation between these companion pieces. Cock explores how a man struggling to find his identity channels the pressure he feels onto those around him. Bull offers a striking counterpoint: here, a man weighed down by his personal circumstances becomes the target of relentless pressure from those around him. Together, these companion pieces reveal different faces of the same question – how pressure shapes our choices, our relationships and our capacity for empathy.

I hope audiences leave the theatre carrying more than the memory of a gripping contest and Mike Bartlett’s razor-sharp humour, and perhaps reflecting on how easily bullying can become normalized in our everyday lives – in our workplaces, our public discourse, our politics, our online conversations. Bull reminds us that bullying does not always announce itself with raised voices or physical brutality and how too often it is dismissed as confidence, competitiveness, or “just a joke”, or even as “freedom of speech”.

My deepest thanks go to our producer, Chris Baldock, for his trust and for giving me the opportunity to bring this remarkable play to the stage; to my assistant director, Sophia Castello, for her constant support throughout the entire process; to our wonderful cast, whose generosity, fearlessness and awesome talent have brought this story vividly to life; to Peter Fock for adding depth and atmosphere to the performances through his operation of lights and sounds; and to Rhiley Winnett for his invaluable technical guidance and generous support.

Most of all, thank you for being here. The bell is about to ring, enjoy the fight!

Céline Oudin

CAST:

Zade Fainstein as Tony

Paul Hutchison as Mr. Carter

Rob Karlene as Thomas

Claire White as Isobel

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Director: Céline Oudin

Assistant Director: Sophia Castello

Producer: Chris Baldock

Light Design: Rhiley Winnett and Céline Oudin

Set Concept, Design and Realisation: Chris Baldock

Lighting and Sound Operation: Peter Fock

Costumes: Cast

Publicity & Photography – Céline Oudin, Sophia Castello with Chris Baldock

FOR MOCKINGBIRD THEATRICS:

Artistic Director & Head Tutor – Chris Baldock

Technical Manager – Rhiley Winnett

Publicity, Graphics and Photography – Chris Baldock

Associate Directors – Zac Bridgman, Steph Evans, Céline Oudin

THANKS TO:

Paul Portelli & the Belconnen Arts Centre staff, Nick Fuller & Canberra Daily,

Helen Musa & CityNews, Goodwin Village Ainslie

MOCKINGBIRD SUPPORTERS:

Special Friend of the Theatre: Jane Ahlquist, Tracey Pulli

Season Supporter: Sarah Byrne & Peter McDonald, Anonymous, Paul Sweeney

Season Patron: Liz St Clair Long

Director – Céline Oudin

Céline was born in France and has lived in Australia for 23 years. She worked in the film industry in France for 7 years (as producer’s assistant, director’s assistant, co-script writer, producer and director). 

From 2010, Celine attended acting classes in Sydney, directed No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre in 2013, and co-directed 2 comedy show projects in collaboration with author/director/producer David Perrin in 2014. After moving to Canberra in 2020, she attended acting and directing classes run by Chris Baldock from Mockingbird Theatrics. In 2024, she translated the French play 8 Femmes (8 Women) by Robert Thomas, which was then produced and directed by Chris Baldock. In 2025, she directed 6 monologues from Snatches (Pig Life by E.V. Crowe, Pritilata by Tanika Gupta, Multiples by Zonnie Harris, Reclaim The Night by Charlene James, Bovril Pam by Vicky Jones and Compliance by Abi Morgan), which Chris Baldock produced. Earlier this year, she directed No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, revisiting the play 13 years later, also produced by Chris Baldock. 

Céline also acted in independent theatre productions, including 8 Women by Robert Thomas (directed by Chris Baldock), No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre (directed by Glen Hamilton), Dead White Males by David Williamson (directed by Gavin Vance), Corporate Vibes by David Williamson (directed by Glen Hamilton), Miss Margarita by Roberto Athayde (directed by Jean-Yves Brignon), La Clinica written & directed by Carolina Diaz, Théâtre sans Animaux/Tragédie by Jean-Michel Ribes (directed by Jean-Yves Brignon), We are the Ghosts of the Future by Verity Laughton (directed by Harriet Gillies), Le Faiseur by Honoré de Balzac (directed by Jean-Yves Brignon).

Assistant Director – Sophia Castello

Sophia was born and raised in Canberra to Peruvian and German parents. She began her journey with Mockingbird Theatrics in 2021, initially joining classes to build confidence and work through anxiety. Since then, she has discovered not only a love for theatre but also a wonderful community (shout out to the Monday class!).

Her acting experience includes extra roles in the short films Till Undeath and They’re Ready For You, as well as Austin Series 2 for ABC. In 2025, she was the Assistant Director, Stage Manager, and Lighting, Sound & Projection Operator for No Exit. This production marks her second time serving as Assistant Director.

Sophia is currently studying law at university. Outside of theatre, she enjoys singing, reading, creating art, and playing video games.

At home, she cares for a lively menagerie of two cats, three frogs, a lizard, and a snake.

Thomas – Rob Karlen

Rob is a Canadian Australian with a lifelong passion for community and independent theatre. Recently, Rob performed the monologue Precious Jewels at the 2026 Canberra Rep ‘Logues finals, played the role of Ralph/Nurse in Mockingbird’s Shakespeare in Love (2026), and performed as Jake in Mockingbird Too’s Consent (2025).

Since moving to Canberra from Sydney for his day job, Rob also appeared in Green Oak Theatre’s Play Me Something (2024), If I Could Save Her (2022), and Budding Theatre’s Gatsby (2020) and A Christmas Carol Gone Wrong (2019). Throughout the 2010s, Rob was a regular on all sides of the stage across UNSW’s theatre and revue societies, after beginning his community theatre journey at Z-PAC Theatre Hervey Bay in the mid 2000s.

Rob is proud to be part of another Mockingbird Too production, and is grateful for the support of the growing audience in Canberra for these compelling productions.

Tony – Zade Fainstein

Zade was born and raised in Canberra. This is his second production with Mockingbird. He has played Peter in Shakespeare in Love, Mr Myers in Fame, and Giles in The Mousetrap. He has done theatre casually since the age of 14 and has acted in several minor projects in film and on stage. He is enrolled as a student at the University of Canberra and also at the Mockingbird Acting Studio. He is very excited to bring the character of Tony to life in this production of Bull.

Isobel- Claire White

Bull will be Claire’s third production with Mockingbird Theatre Company, having previously featured in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Snatches: Moments From 100 Years of Women’s Lives. Claire began performing at a young age with the Canberra Youth Theatre and Canberra Youth Ballet, where she studied ballet and jazz. Claire also has a background in swing dancing, having performed with the ‘Jumptown Canberra’ performance troupe in the vintage dance styles of the lindy hop and charleston. Returning to acting as an adult, Claire trained with Chris Baldock (Mockingbird Acting Studio) and Ruth Pieloor (ACT4Reel) performing monologues and scene work in local showcases and appearing in local film productions.

Mr Carter – Paul Hutchison

Paul is a local writer, actor, artist and filmmaker. As a survivor of the public service, he’s well-placed to play Carter in Bull, which he thinks simply says the quiet bits about toxic workplaces loud. He appeared as the father in Mike Bartlett’s play Cock, also staged by Mockingbird Theatre.

His stage and film acting credits include Parker the butler in Lady Windermere’s Fan (Canberra Rep); three roles (McGirr/ Goldstein/ Hawke) in The Chalk Pit (Courtyard Theatre); Murph in The Weed and the Gold (film); The Stranger in Blasted Apart (UC film); Doctor in Burdens (AIE film); Pops in Forgotten Fortunes (AIE film); Vice Chancellor Will Tallen in Aliens of UC (Lights Canberra Action film); a cafe extra in Austin: Season 2.