Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner
Young British playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones’s debut production journeys through blistering, rhythmic dialogue about the commodification of Black bodies, colourism, friendship and queerness. It made its debut at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2019, and last year the Australian production received accolades from audiences and critics alike. This year the play returns to Sydney for a second run, before heading to Brisbane and Melbourne.
The first Australian season of Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jennery, in April 2021, was a sell-out success. Actor Tessa Thompson and singer Rita Ora were reportedly among the audience members at Darlinghurst Theatre.
Nuanced, funny and heartfelt, the powerfully modern play ignites political debate. It opens on a darkly funny note, with Cleo (Moreblessing Maturure) and Kara (mononymous NIDA student Iolanthe) dragging a body across the stage and hiding it beneath a bedroom floor. Then, a real-life tweet by Forbes magazine spreads across a large screen above the bedroom, announcing that Kylie Jenner has become the “youngest self-made billionaire ever”.
The headstrong, 20-something-year-old Cleo has plenty to say in response to this tweet. For her, Jenner is not “self-made” but born into wealth and unashamedly profiting from the appropriation and commodification of Black women. She starts an ironic thread outlining the many potential deaths that could befall Jenner. A tweetstorm ensues – with gifs, memes, internet slang and emojis displaying on the screen overhead, while, offline, Cleo and Kara navigate issues of colourism and queer identity.
Together with Green Door Theatre Company, the Seven Methods team in Australia has created a strategy to help engage new audiences and foster a community around the show. This includes bringing in live music and DJ sets on select show nights, commissioning a special edition of Flex Mami’s conversation starter cards, and hosting discussions, as well as introducing a pay-it-forward initiative that allows audiences to add a donation with each online ticket purchase, so the company can offer more pay-what-you-can tickets.
Engagement and involvement of communities is a key component of the Seven Methods journey, but even more important, the directors say, is convincing the industry of the need for genuine diversity in casting and productions.
Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner was originally part of the Sydney Festival 2022 program. The team released a statement of withdrawal from the event as part of a wider boycott. The Darlinghurst Theatre shows are going ahead; the previously announced Parramatta dates are cancelled.
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