Review: SEVEN METHODS OF KILLING KYLIE JENNER, Royal Court Theatre - Online

Photo credit: Helen Murray

Following a successful sold out 2019 premiere and follow up run in 2021, Jasmine Lee-Jones’ multiple award-winning play is now available to stream online.

Directed by Milli Bhatia, Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner was written as part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, supported by Jerwood Arts.

It’s a two-handed play between main characters Kara (Tia Bannon) and Cleo (Leanne Henlon). It explores friendship, appropriation, queerness and cultural awareness.

Cleo has a lot to say and she wants to shout it to a large audience, so what better platform to use than Twitter! But how appropriate are her comments and how appropriate is the world’s reaction to them? 

It’s a very accurate and significant portrayal of society and western culture.  The dialogue and conversation between Kara and Cleo is fast paced, honest and blunt.  Some of the language may be harder for an older audience to follow as there is a lot of “text speak” used; the target audience is clearly young adults.

However, it’s not afraid to tell it like it is and this is important.  It is inclusive of topics such as the inequalities between different race’s and how this is fuelled by the media, the need to blame one person and how one person’s opinion, once tweeted, then becomes a target for trolls and cancel culture begins.

It’s an important lesson to learn that once an opinion is posted on social media, it’s available for the whole world to see.

Hard-hitting, blunt and increasingly relevant.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner is available to stream until 17 April here.