THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★★★

“spot-on comedic timing delivers the infinite number of stunning one-liners”

When Paris Hilton wrote the song Stars Are Blind, she was manifesting the divine power that brought the creators of The Simple Life & Death together. How do you create a show that is wildly niche while still making the entire audience feel included on the joke? You do it exactly like this.

The Simple Life & Death, created by Shane ShayShay Konno and Fizz Sinclair, is a masterclass in camp theatre that makes you laugh to the extent where you become deeply concerned for your own health. The performance is set in a current day TV studio on the Arkansas farm where The Simple Life, the noughties reality series starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, was filmed from 2003 to 2007. At the top of the show, it is established that we are the studio audience for the live reunion special of the iconic TV series. We are introduced to Paris (Shane ShayShay Konno) and Nicole (Fizz Sinclair) in velour Juicy Couture tracksuits and blonde wigs. They are joined by surprise celebrity guests who, through rapid costume changes, are all brilliantly portrayed by Sinclair.

The set design (Ray Gammon) features pink directors’ chairs, a large haybale, film cameras and a neon ON AIR sign. What starts off as a delightful reunion with Paris, Nicole and friends quickly turns dark when one of the cast members is MURDERED. Cue the terrifying lightning and thunder. This incites Paris’ hunt for the killer so she may prove her innocence before she “gets cancelled by Gen Z on Tik-tok”. With the culprit in the studio, Paris starts interviewing all the celebrities turned suspects. Who dunnit?

This performance uses drag, sketch comedy, music and a satisfying amount of British panto elements to give us a highly original take on a murder mystery. Paris and Nicole welcome the audience and introduce their lovely assistant, Twinkerbell (Aïsha Kent) who is also the legit stage manager for the show, instilling the notion that the performers are appearing as themselves in various drag and comedy personas. They play with this throughout the evening as Twinkerbell facilitates scene changes for Konno and Sinclair who make off the cuff comments to the audience. It’s impressive how effortlessly they navigate between the narrative and sincere acknowledgments of self-awareness, thereby creating an immersive space. We are all in on the joke.

The ingenuity of the writing is effortlessly carried by Konno and Sinclair. Their spot-on comedic timing delivers the infinite number of stunning one-liners, all accessible to the audience with their varied references from Y2K nostalgia to current day pop culture. Some include Legally Blonde, White Lotus and Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud. This diversity in the text allows the past and present to come together in a celebration of shared memories between audience members, further immersing us in the performance space. The sound design (Eliyana Evans) is also employed to create this shared familiarity through sounds from recognisable TV series such as X-Factor, Judge Judy and American Horror Story. The dramaturgical frame of the fictional TV special is continuously reinforced through ‘filming’ breaks and reoccurring parodical product placements for Paris’ numerous entrepreneurial endeavours.

Seamlessly moving between wholesome, witty and irreverent, Konno and Sinclair are consistently funny. With fabulous costumes, hysterical singing outbursts and mesmerising stage presence they deliver a truly remarkable display of showmanship. Creating an inclusive and immersive performance that could put top comedians to shame, Konno and Sinclair are masters of their craft. We can only hope that their collaboration continues. In the meantime, do yourself a courtesy and RUN to see The Simple Life & Death. It’s really hot.

THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 28th November 2024

by Lara van Huyssteen

Photography by Lucy Hayes

Previously reviewed at this venue:

16 POSTCARDS | ★★★ | October 2024

GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME | ★★★★ | May 2024

GISELLE: REMIX | ★★★★★ | April 2024

GWYNETH GOES SKIING | ★★★ | February 2024

CASTING THE RUNES | ★★★ | October 2023

DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY | ★★★★ | November 2022

DIRTY CORSET | ★★½ | April 2022

SHE SEEKS OUT WOOL | ★★★★ | January 2022

DOG SHOW | ★★★★★ | December 2021

LIGHTS OUT | ★★★★ | October 2021

THE SIMPLE LIFE

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★★★★★

“a breath-taking instant classic for the London festive season”

What is at the end of the Victoria line? Rap battles and the Jabberwocky.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a classic book beloved by children and adults alike. Finding a first edition copy is as rare as finding chicken teeth. Finding yet another stage adaptation that actually feels new and exciting proves more challenging. What Poltergeist and writer-director Jack Bradfield have achieved with this unapologetic adaptation is jaw dropping. Alice in Wonderland is one and a half hours of boundary-busting theatre made by Londoners for Londoners. This iteration of the well-known story is so perfect in concept and execution that it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been done before.

Set in current day Brixton, 11-year-old Alice (Tatenda Matsvai) has a fight with her mum (Cheyenne Dasri) in Brixton tube station and jumps onto the Victoria line by herself. This sets off a tube journey into the world of nonsense where Alice realises that she is trapped on a train with the inhabitants of Wonderland. We meet familiar characters such as the White Rabbit, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and many more. In addition, we also meet people who Londoners will recognise instantly. This includes the commuters, ‘undergounders’ who have been on the tube for so long that they have lost their souls. The cast do an astounding job multi-rolling; their transitions are so smooth that you might only notice they are playing multiple roles in the second act. A standout here is Gavin Dunn who impressively alters his voice and physicality between playing The Rabbit, The Pigeon and Hammersmith (Yes, like the tube station – you need to see it to believe it).

Lyricist and Rapperturg, Gerel Falconer has created songs with composer and sound designer Alice Boyd that breathes new life into the familiar story, making space for this iteration to distinguish its own language. The audience is treated to rap solos and rap battles between characters, reminding us that London is a cultural wonderland. The composition of the sounds of Brixton and the underground are so clean that you can eat your dinner from it. A total treat for the ears! (Not only bunny ears).

‘Overgounder’ Alice travels down a rabbit hole of bottomless London Underground puns and immersive set design (Shankho Chaudhuri). You enter the theatre, and you are met by a recreation of a Victoria line carriage. The benches are covered in Victoria line fabric and the wall boasts posters like ‘The Jabberwocky is watching‘ and ‘See it, slay it, sorted’, immediately enforcing the idea that this is no ordinary tube line. The stage has a catwalk layout with the audience on either side. An entrance and exit on either end of the catwalk creates the illusion that the train has no beginning or an end. It is from these boundless tunnels that new and familiar characters emerge, creating expectation for what else is to come. It is impressive how well the set design is integrated into the script with trap doors that lead to the ominous wasteland ‘The Gap’ and lowering light rigs that become the tops of train carriages. The composition between lights, sound and set within the story is so clever and funny that you only need to sit back and enjoy this feast of a performance.

How will Alice ever escape the tube in time for Christmas? With rap battles, sword fights and dance breaks, Alice in Wonderland is a breath-taking instant classic for the London festive season. I wish more London theatre makers could embrace ridiculous ideas and execute them as flawlessly as this. All aboard for this highly imaginative, hilarious, and exhilarating tube journey down the Brixton rabbit hole!

Tag Archives: Lara van Huyssteen

THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH

★★★★★

Pleasance Theatre

THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★★★

“spot-on comedic timing delivers the infinite number of stunning one-liners”