Billed as “one part sermon, one part purge, three parts party”, House of Life delivers a joyous immersive experience with plenty of glitter. Led by the RaveRend and his straight-faced sidekick Trev, the audience are encouraged to participate in a multi-level guide to ascension.
The experience starts in the queue outside, where Ben Welch’s RaveRend anoints the waiting audience with glitter. Once in the venue, he hurls multi-coloured egg shakers into the crowd, while Trev (played by Lawrence Cole) awkwardly checks the loop machine and sound equipment in the corner. The two characters are direct opposites, RaveRend clad from head to toe in sparkly vestments, while Trev sports a grey suit and tie. This makes for quite a few comedy moments, and allows Trev to go on the journey of ascension along with the audience as he discovers his inner self-esteem.
This is a show which requires a lot of audience participation, and to the performers’ credit they mostly manage to keep the crowd on side. There are a few moments where the energy drops a little, notably a slightly strange action sequence to get you “in your body”, but at other times there are beautiful moments of human connection. Strangers sing motivational chants to each other across the room. A mother tells her daughter how much she loves her. There’s even a big, glorious group jam, complete with Trev on the saxophone. The performers shift the mood effortlessly, with RaveRend switching from an improvised rap about life aspirations to a cathartic screaming session. The whole thing is underscored by an insistent beat, engineered by multi-instrumentalist Trev, and cleverly using the audience at times to create layers of sound using the loop machine.
Join the House of Life today and experience a rollercoaster of emotions which will leave you feeling ready to take on the world.
House of Life runs until 30th August (not 17th or 24th) at Underbelly George Square, with tickets available at https://www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/events/event/house-of-life-26
Reviewer: Torya Hughes
Reviewed: 12th August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: