Darlinghurst Theatre Company (DTC) and Green Door Theatre Company (GDTC) are excited to bring the Australian premiere of Jasmine Lee-Jones’ award-winning play seven methods of killing kylie jenner to the Eternity Playhouse stage from 21 April 2021.
Directed by recently appointed Sydney Theatre Company Resident Director and proud Bardi, Jabirr Jabirr woman Shari Sebbens (Top End Wedding, The Sapphires), this powerful two-hander stars Vivienne Awosoga (Wentworth, Neighbours) and Moreblessing Maturure (Afro Sistahs, Seachange). The cast is also supported by an all-female production team.
seven methods of killing kylie jenner dives deep into the murky waters of colourism and the commodification of Black women when tensions rise between two friends as they argue about the success of the titular influencer as a supposed “self-made billionaire”.
Combining theatre with gifs, memes and emojis, the play explores stereotypes of Black womanhood, white capitalist exploitation, and the politics of social media activism.
“Racial gaslighting. Colourism. Homophobia. Online trolling. Cultural appropriation. Memes. This play leaves no stone unturned. In fact, it pulverizes them,” said GDTC Co-Creative Producer Bernadette Fam.
“This play is fun. This play is hard hitting. But most importantly, this play is right now and speaks poignantly to the modern day conflict of URL versus IRL.”
“Jasmine Lee-Jones has written one of the greatest debut plays I will ever have the privilege of reading,” said Director Shari Sebbens. “Turning even the simple act of page formatting into a thrill.”
“The voices of Cleo and Kara bust through the atmosphere of a global shift every one of us should be feeling right now, bringing big pain and big heart. They crack open the URL, the IRL and force us to look at the space we hold each other in.”
“We are so pleased to be welcoming these game-changing women into our building – who will not only create an engaging, hilarious and challenging work, but will inform and shift the way theatre is produced,” said DTC Producer and Head of New Writing, Leila Enright.
Jasmine Lee-Jones is an actor and writer based in North London. Her first full- length play seven methods of killing kylie jenner opened at The Royal Court in July 2019 and won the 2019 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, the 2019 Stage Debut Award for Best Writer, the 2019 Alfred Fagon Award, the 2020 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, and won the European New Talent Drama Award 2020.
Other writing credits include Living Newspaper (Royal Court Theatre, 2020); My White Best Friend (Bunker Theatre, 2019), Curious… (Guildhall/Brainchild), Dark Matter (Beyond the Court), Say Her Name, Drinking Concrete [co-writer] (Open Court).
Training includes Royal Court Supergroup (2018-2019), Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2016-2019), the BBC London Writers’ Group (2017), The Andrea Project Writing Group (2017), and Soho Young Writers’ Lab (2016).
In theatre, she is currently under commission to the Royal Court Theatre, Soho Theatre, and Headlong Theatre. Screen work includes a short community-led film in development with the Young Vic, and adapting a major novel into a TV series for Potboiler/BBC.
Director: Shari Sebbens Featuring: Vivienne Awosoga, Moreblessing Maturure Associate Director: Zindzi Okenyo Lighting Designer: Kate Baldwin Sound Designer: Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers Production Designer: Keerthi Subramanyam Voice and Dialect Coach: Angela Sullen Stage Manager: Ayah Tayeh Audio Visual Designer: Wendy Yu Producers: Leila Enright, Bernadette Fam, Moreblessing Maturure Community Engagement Specialists: Ayebatonye Abrakasa, Henrietta Amevor, 2 Sydney Stylists (Niwa Mburuja and Wanyika Mshila)
seven methods of killing kylie jenner
Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Season: 21 April – 2 May 2021
Information and Bookings: www.darlinghursttheatre.com
Image: Vivienne Awosoga and Moreblessing Maturure – photo by Teniola Komolafe