After rapturous runs in Edinburgh and London, the cult cabaret theatre show House of Life is set to embark on a London and international tour. Hosted by the glitter-clad RaveRend (Ben Welch), whose sole mission is to achieve happiness by any means.
Fuelled by infectious energy, the RaveRend and the ever-loyal side-kick Trev transport audiences on an 8-step guide to happiness through a funk-infused odyssey to banish blues and summon elation.
The London tour dates include Soho Theatre: 26 – 31 May, Brixton House: 2 – 4 July, Wilton’s Music Hall: 10 July and Park Theatre: 18 – 19 July. Full details can be found here.
You’re bringing House of Life back to Soho Theatre. What can you tell us about the show?
House Of Life is a travelling musical cult collective with one mission; to get you happy at any cost. It’s an 8 step guide to ultimate enlightenment hosted by the glitter clad RaveRend (me) alongside trusty sidekick Trev.
It’s a musical theatre cabaret show event happening that is happening… again. This time we’re in the main house of Soho Theatre which we’re very excited about. This also means that the total length of glitter curtain now needed is almost the full length of an athletic track, and that surely is all you need to know, right?!
How did the concept of House of Life come about, and what inspired you to create it?
The show was initially created as an attempt to bring people together while the world felt like it was falling apart. With division being so wilfully and publicly supported by terrible people around the world, we wanted to build an experience where people could bring their darkness, work through our rogue culty 8 step guide to happiness and leave a little lighter and more connected.
A space for us to let it all out whilst genuinely connecting with strangers and giving thanks to our chicken mummy.
Can you share some memorable moments or audience reactions from previous performances?
Edinburgh Fringe 2023. 92 year old Wilma requesting to pour a bottle of champagne (prosecco) all over me at the end of the show and to lick it off. Request was granted.
It’s so lovely when people come back to the show again and again, there’s a section in the show where we ask people to visualise their futures and we had a fab woman from Glasgow who came to the show in 2023 and visualised herself quitting her job to go travelling with her mates. She came back to the show in 2024 and told us that the day after the show, she’d done exactly that and never looked back and never felt happier!
What makes House of Life unique compared to other cabaret theatre shows?
It’s always been hard to put it in a genre box really. It feels like we’re in a time of cabaret theatre shows becoming more of a thing and for us it’s about finding any possible way to connect more with audiences and therefore leaning on the form more and more. It feels like the best way for us to genuinely connect with strangers and to try and quickly and honestly build trust with them in order for people to let guards down and shake their eggs alongside me and Trev.
The beauty of cabaret is the weird and the wonderfully unique people and places that make it happen. We’re inspired by legends in the game such as Jonny Woo / John Sizzle and all the The Divine (and formerly The Glory) as well as collectives like Queerdos, Blow My Wig + In Bed With My Brother.
How do you and your sidekick Trev prepare for each performance, given that no two shows are the same?
I’d love to say there’s a rigorous routine of kombucha, yoga and breathing but truly it’s just a load of glitter, a take a break magazine and a reminder that we gotta get out of our heads and into our bodies.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see House of Life?
Oh go on. Do it. See if you like it. If you leave feeling more depressed than when you arrived then we’ll give you a refund*
*probably not actually possible but you get the energy of what I’m trying to say.
