Review: SEVEN METHODS OF KILLING KYLIE JENNER at Woolly Mammoth Theatre

Social media is a public stage, a place for people to speak their minds, but it also provides a way for people to connect. It has become a medium for activism and social justice. It's a complex space where memes and trends rule. Many hide behind their own anonymity in this place. In seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Cleo (Leanne Henlon) uses Twitter as her platform to call out Kylie Jenner for appropriating and profiting off of Black culture. As she continues to tweet out her thoughts, her relationship with her best friend, Kara (Tia Bannon), is tested.

Tia Bannon as Kara in seven methods of killing kyle jenner. Photo by DJ Corey.

Royal Court Theatre's production of seven methods of killing kylie jenner, written by Jasmine Lee-Jones and directed by Milli Bhatia, covers a lot of topics in 90 minutes. It's a play about colonialism, racism, slavery, body image, queerness, appropriation of Black culture, and so much more. Ultimately, the play is about the friendship between Kara and Cleo, and how traumatic events have affected their lives.

Bannon and Henlon beautifully depict the ups and downs of Kara and Cleo's friendship. They chat about lovers (and exs), argue with each other, share their feelings with each other over a bag of crisps, and explore hard truths from their childhood and teenage years. They jump from topic to topic in rapid succession (as long-time friends often do), and brilliantly deliver Jasmine Lee-Jones' witty and sharp dialogue.

Tia Bannon (Kara) and Leanne Henlon (Cleo) in seven methods of killing kylie jenner. Photo by DJ Corey.

There are no screens that flash social media commentary. Instead, Henlon and Bannon depict each tweet with different voices and movement, creating living, breathing manifestations of social media personas. This movement direction by Delphine Gaborit combined with the lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun and sound design by Elena Pena, creates a performative and surreal-like atmosphere that reflects the nature of social media.

Threads are a big part of Twitter, and the Internet is often referred to as a web. At the center of the set, designed by Rajha Shakiry, there are threads interwoven to create a tree. Glowing lights inside the tree transform it into a physical representation of the social media landscape.

You need to see seven methods of killing kylie jenner at Woolly Mammoth. So far, it is definitely one of the must-see plays of 2023.

Running Time: 90 minutes without an intermission

The U.S. premiere of seven methods of killing kylie jenner runs from February 4 through February 26, 2023 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Be sure to read the zine enclosed in your playbill as it tells the story of Saartjie (Sara) Baartman, provides examples of how the Kardashian-Jenners are appropriating Black culture, and a glossary of Black British slang.

Photo Credit: DJ Corey

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