Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner

Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre has kicked off their 2022 season with the critically acclaimed Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner. It’s no wonder people have been loving this play, and its fabulously funny rapid-fire banter. It’s packed with gallows humour that slayed the opening-night audience. The play delivered so many laugh-out-loud moments at times the crowd’s delight drowned-out the dialogue.

The magical ingredients for a perfect comedy were all there. We had the insightful and intelligently written script by Jasmine Lee-Jones. Fabulous dialogue that was part poetry, part stand-up comedy. It was thought-provoking with important themes: cultural appropriation, ‘blackfishing’, white people’s commodification of the art, appearance, and fashions of the black community, misogyny, and fetishizing people of colour. The play also explored our relationship with social media and the instant fame or infamy that can arise from just one tweet.

The work was passionately performed by Moreblessing Maturure (Cleo) and Iolanthe (Kara). These dedicated professionals delighted the opening night audience with their outstanding physical skills and hip-hop emcee level linguistic abilities. The energy from both performers was dialled up to 11 from start to finish. They were captivating to watch.

The simple but effective minimalist production design by Keerthi Subramanyam was supported perfectly with jutting ceiling level screens showing tweets and memes. Kudos to audio visual designer Wendy Yu for making these work seamlessly with the dialogue. Lighting by Kate Baldwin was very effective at enhancing the drama and supporting the comedy. The talented cast and crew were all expertly directed by Zindzi Okenyo and Shari Sebbens.

Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner is the first show in La Boite’s 2022 season. Luckily Brisbane’s rising floodwaters and torrential rain didn’t prevent the show from celebrating a triumphant opening night. Congratulations to all concerned at La Boite for a successful, if soggy, start to 2022.

Kitty Goodall