House of Life
If someone told you that a 75-minute show about grief — featuring a vicar who raves and a bloke called Trev — would leave you laughing, oddly uplifted, and texting your mum on the way home, you might think they’d spent too long in the Soho Theatre bar. But House of Life defies all expectations. It’s poetic, punchy, joyously weird, and deeply moving – a glorious celebration of what it means to carry on after loss, and maybe even enjoy yourself along the way.
Ben Welch plays the RaveRend, a luminous, larger-than-life figure in clerical collar and glitter, who guides us through the spiritual chaos of grief with equal parts scripture, serotonin and silliness. Welch is a powerhouse performer, switching seamlessly between beatific calm and full-on festival preacher. You haven’t truly contemplated mortality until someone’s shouted “Death is a banger!” over a pulsing bassline.
Balancing things out is Lawrence Cole as Trev – a no-nonsense, deeply human counterpoint to the RaveRend’s transcendental energy. Trev is the bloke who turns up when no one else does, the man with the van, the quiet constant in the madness. Cole gives a beautifully understated performance, full of warmth, dry humour and just the right amount of awkward shuffling. Together, they form a surprisingly perfect duo: spirit and body, head and heart, rave and reality.
The show’s structure is fluid, mixing spoken word, storytelling, sermon, and song with poetic ease. At times it feels like a grief counselling session held at Glastonbury – and I mean that as a sincere compliment. One minute you’re laughing at a story about a poorly timed funeral buffet; the next, you’re blinking back tears at a gentle, devastating line about absence. The writing is rich and rhythmic, managing to be lyrical without ever veering into pretension – which, given the subject matter, is a rare and welcome feat.
Visually, it’s simple but evocative. A few light shifts and sonic swells transform the space from hospital room to nightclub to inner monologue. The direction is tight and purposeful, never letting things sag – though there is a brief lull about halfway through when a metaphor involving boxes (or possibly birds in boxes) stretches on a little longer than it needs to. But even that is forgiven once the RaveRend grabs the mic again and pulls us back into his gloriously strange, glittery gospel.
Ultimately, House of Life is a show about death that feels utterly alive. It’s a celebration of love, loss, memory, and the weird rituals we create to make sense of it all. Welch and Cole bring charisma, chemistry and emotional truth to every moment, and the result is something quietly extraordinary.
So yes, bring tissues. But also bring your sense of humour, your dancing shoes (just in case), and maybe your mum. It’s tender, smart, unexpectedly funny – and absolutely worth seeing.
This show was reviewed at Soho Theatre, London on the 28th May 2025 where it runs until the 31st May 2025. Tickets available here: House Of Life - Soho Theatre
Review written by Mike Stocks
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Photo credit: Mark Senior
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