A deep dive into the murky waters of colourism and the commodification of Black women

Darlinghurst and Green Door Theatre Companies bring the Australian premiere of Jasmine Lee-Jones’ award-winning seven methods of killing kylie jenner to the Sydney stage this month.

Directed by recently appointed Sydney Theatre Company Resident Director and proud Bardi, Jabirr Jabirr woman Shari Sebbens, this innovative co-production blends real life and online culture, and stars Wentworth’s Vivienne Awosoga and Zimbabwean/Australian inter-disciplinary artist Moreblessing Maturure.

“Jasmine Lee-Jones has written one of the greatest debut plays I will ever have the privilege of reading. 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,” said Sebbens.

In the British writer’s powerful play, an online argument about the success of 23-year-old “self-made billionaire” Kylie Jenner leads to real-life tensions between friends Cleo and Kara. What follows is the most blistering, agonising, meme-scattered row of their lives, and nothing is off-limits! From primary school humiliations to the vast structural privilege that light-skinned women have, the friends discuss the commodification of Black women, racism, colourism, misogyny, cultural appropriation, queerness, social media activism and more. If Black Twitter hasn’t snatched your edges yet, Cleo and Kara surely will.

“Racial gaslighting. Colourism. Homophobia. Online trolling. Cultural appropriation. Memes. This play leaves no stone unturned. In fact, it pulverizes them. At Green Door Theatre Company, the moment we read this play we knew we had to program it. It’s not often a piece has you in fits in laughter whilst also challenging you on everything you thought you knew about the world. Jasmine Lee-Jones transcends the traditional play form and has expertly crafted a piece in its own league. 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,” said GDTC’s Co-Creative Producer Bernadette Fam.

Maturure hopes to see more productions like this. “I want all-Black everything, everywhere. Many of us have had to learn to understand and imagine ourselves in white, male, heteronormative worlds that deny our existence and multiplicity forever, and to be honest, it’s more violent than it’s worth. We’re bringing excellence at every level, and can’t wait to share what this team of stellar women have pulled off.”

With that said, I, too, “Am rooting for every BIWOC!” (in my Issa Rae voice). Seven methods of killing kylie jenner didn’t come to play (no pun intended) – they came to slay with a 100% female team, 95% WOC, >65% Black. 0 BS. 0 excuses. 

May sure you show your support online for the Seven Methods cast and crew on Instagram.

Seven methods of killing kylie jenner previews at Sydney’s iconic Eternity Playhouse theatre on Saturday 17 April and Sunday 18 April, and run from Wednesday 21 April to Sunday 2 May 2021. To purchase tickets, visit darlinghursttheatre.com/sevenmethods.

Learn more about Jasmine Lee-Jones, Playwright extraordinaire. 

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).