In The Haus: Kieran Bullock
Kieran’s journey into the world of theatre began unexpectedly, as a quiet kid who found his voice through high school theatresports and school plays. This passion for performance and storytelling blossomed during his university years when he combined a creative writing major with acting in student productions. Inspired by a performance of The 39 Steps in London, Kieran discovered a love for comedy theatre that perfectly blended his writing and acting talents. This led him to create his own company and produce original works, including his latest touring IKEA-themed production.
In our latest In The Haus feature, we delve into Kieran’s creative process and inspirations, highlighting his journey from a budding writer to a seasoned performer and producer. As he prepares for the Brisbane premiere of IKEA WARS at the Anywhere Festival from 2-4 August, Kieran shares his insights on the challenges and triumphs of his career, the importance of continuous improvement, and his aspirations for the future.
Join us for an in-depth look at the hilarious and inventive IKEA WARS and get a sneak peek into what audiences can expect from this highly anticipated production.
We’d love to know more about the beginning of your career – where and how did you get your start?
I was a quiet kid who came to life (according to my Mum) mid-way through high school. I’d always been a big reader and writer, but high school theatre sports and the Year 9 school play really brought out a performative side that no one knew existed. I carried those twin joys through to university, supplementing a creative writing major while acting in plenty of student productions.
After a further decade of juggling freelance acting and writing gigs, I saw a performance of The 39 Steps at the West End in London and was immediately captivated. It was comedy theatre like I had never seen it, and I realised at that moment just how perfectly both my writing and acting styles fit into that style of theatre. I started my own company, performed The 39 Steps, and then started writing my own plays. The IKEA-based shows came out of a desire to do something more improvised and tourable.
What or who were some of your early influences or inspirations that shaped your career?
I grew up on a heady diet of British comedy. Sketch comedy classics like The Two Ronnies were a big influence on my early comedy writing, while the subtle wit and succinct storytelling of sitcoms like Dad’s Army, Keeping Appearances, and Last of the Summer Wine ingrained story structure and comedic patterns in a way that would be hard to teach. Something I love equally as well, as a counterpoint to the deft precision of those previously-mentioned shows, is the comedic mayhem of Reeves and Mortimer, and in particular, their surrealist comedy game show Shooting Stars. The number one rule of surreal comedy seems to be that there are no rules, and there is a tantalizing and terrifying freedom that comes in comedy when you realise literally anything is possible.
What are some of the most defining moments or milestones in your career so far?
The battle of writing and performing seems to fall into two equal parts: making the thing, and getting people to see the thing. And sometimes to get enough attention to make one thing work, you have to make several others beforehand.
I’ve been running my company for a decade now, and it finally feels like the tree we planted is finally bearing fruit! In terms of notable milestones, the first was writing and producing my first play (The Ides of March). The second milestone was performing that show to a sold-out crowd, which the Adelaide Fringe was able to provide us for a few years running. The third big milestone was getting IKEA WARS into Gluttony, which is a very prominent hub space at the Adelaide Fringe. This year’s season was the most successful show I’ve ever done in terms of box office and led to several sold-out shows. It’s that season that will hopefully open the door for further runs down the line, including this Brisbane run!
What is a quirky fact about you, or something people wouldn’t expect about your story?
As a baby, my first word was a swear word. I won’t say which (unless you really want me to). My Mum worked a 9-5 job and my Dad worked nights, which meant he was able to look after me during the day. At the time, he was a part owner of a mechanic service where they came to your house, ie, if your car was properly knackered. One of the other owners, who was my Dad’s close friend, had a pretty spicy vocabulary. One day, after a day on the tools with my Dad, I started blurting out a word my Mum said was unmistakable in its inappropriateness. Very un-baby-like.
What are you currently working on and how has that creative process been?
I’m gearing up to take IKEA WARS to the world! A big festival season is planned for 2025. Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and hopefully Edinburgh. This short Brisbane season will be a great chance to add to our media resources and really set the stage for a big tour next year.
What’s in your rehearsal bag that you can’t go without?
This applies more to scripted work, but I’m a big highlighter and pen guy for script notes. I always highlight my dialogue in green, and stage directions in pink. Sadly, my yellow, orange and blue highlighters don’t get much of a workout!
Do you have a reading, teaching/advice, institution or resource that changed your life/perspective, which you’d recommend to others?
It’s a simple one I’ve discovered fairly recently, but kaizen – the Japanese ideal of continuous improvement. It was actually created as a business and workflow concept, but I think the idea that we should be continuously improving is very pertinent in the arts. Even if it’s just a little bit, I always have an emphasis on making sure that whatever I’m working on is in a state of continual improvement. It’s always important to identify “What am I doing this time around to make this better than it was last time?”
What advice would you give to a young person today aspiring to walk in your shoes?
Perseverance – never giving up – is a bit of a cliche but ultimately it really is true. There are going to be setbacks, but if you want it then you just have to keep going. Adding to that, I think being very analytical about what you’re doing is a really helpful tool. Failures can hurt, but you are going to have them, and how you bounce back from them is what will likely define your success. For me, it’s really important to identify the “lessons” from each project. What went well? What worked? Come back to your project a few weeks later and write that stuff for next time. What didn’t work? What mistakes did we make? How could we improve our processes? Writing down your key lessons, be they positive or negative, means you’ll actually learn them. And you’ll be better armed to take on the challenges of the next project.
What are your future aspirations or projects that you’re excited about?
I’d just love to be performing far more often than I am, and have my theatre company positioned for financial success. That would make me very happy. There are a couple of plays I’d love to remount and tour, and of course, there’s the upcoming IKEA WARS tour which I’m hoping will be successful in its own right, but also open doors to bring other shows to new markets.
Theatre Haus is the ‘home of theatre’, where, what or who do you call home?
I’ve lived in Melbourne for the last 18 years and that is definitely my adult home. It’s a great city, and I can’t see myself moving anywhere else any time soon. But Christchurch, New Zealand will always be home. It was where I was born and raised. They have an energy drink in New Zealand that I drank as a youth that isn’t available in Australia. I know I’m truly “home” when I’m sitting in my parent’s lounge with a can of Lift Plus, and our furry black cat Richie purring on my lap.
Don’t miss ‘IKEA WARS’ at the Paint Factory in Yeronga, part of the Anywhere Festival! Catch the show from August 2-4, with performances at 6 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 5 pm on Sunday. Visit the official Anywhere Festival website to book tickets.
Alternatively, follow Social Club Productions on Facebook and Instagram @elwoodsocialclub, and on TikTok @socialclubproductions for updates and more behind-the-scenes fun.
Want to feature in our In The Haus series? Email [email protected].
