EDINBURGH 2023: HOUSE OF LIFE Q&A

BWW catches up with  Ben Welch, writer and performer of House of Life to chat about bringing the show to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about House of Life.

One Part Sermon, One Part Purge, Three Parts Party. House Of Life is a travelling musical cult collective with one mission; to get Edinburgh happy! It's an 8 step programme to happiness that has changed over 7 million lives across the planet. In each show we build our unique soundtrack to ascension through audience participation and some funky bangers. We'll sing together, shout together and create our very own specialised community. It's a show that celebrates places where people come together whether that's a sweaty festival tent, a shouty protest or a singy congregation. 

Why did this feel like an important time to bring it to Edinburgh?

The world feels more fractured than ever. Division is running rife and being pushed down our throats at every angle and we wanted to make something that celebrated getting in a room, connecting with other people and for us that includes a guided meditation alongside a Saxophone playing Chicken Mummy. We've also been looking for spaces and ways to get ourselves out of tricky times in our lives and funnelling down the wellbeing practices thrown in our faces is bloody hard, so why not create your own 8 step programme for happiness?! 

Who is involved in the creative process?

It's been a proper, back to our roots, DIY affair. It's also a meshing together of lots of the type of work that we as Sheep Soup make. It's got cabaret vibes with live musical making and tons of audience patter. The idea has been conceived by the RaveRend, Ben Welch with the help of a whole host of friends and collaborators who've jumped on the mission. Lawrence "Trev" Cole is Ben's partner in crime on stage who along with Sheep Soup's Nic Harvey and Rob Green has helped shaped and develop sections of the show. The show has been supported by the wonderful crew at New Perspectives in Nottingham and Angharad Jones (Associate Director) has helped shape some of the shit we've been throwing at walls. We've also been working with Nora and Dora from INBEDWITHMYBROTHER for some conceptual / dramaturgical support. Producer and all-round lovely Brain Rays has created some bangers for the show included the guided meditation that ends up as a Chicken Calypso Party. 

Who would you like to come and see it?

People. All the people. People that have been struggling. People that are the people who supporting others but not leaving space for themselves. People who are finding the world bleak as hell. People ready to dig dig dig dig dig deep. People ready to find a way through. People ready to arrive alone and leave together with the rest of the audience as House Of Life graduates.  

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

Their possessions. We have a quick turnaround after the show. Dad jokes aside, we want people to see the value in connecting with strangers as well as loved ones and to feel ready to take on all of life's shit with a funky bassline and a sax solo. If we don't boost each other up and Lizzo the s**t out of ourselves, how else are we gonna deal with attempts to drive division between us at every turn. We want people to leave feeling part of something, after just 60 minutes.

House of Life is at the Underbelly Cowgate, Belly Dancer from 2 – 25 August at 20.55. For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/house-of-life.

Photo credit: Sheep Soup 

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