As House of Life prepares to tour London and leap across the Atlantic to Oslo and New York, we sat down with Ben Welch. Created as a joyful response to a fractured world, House of Life is part sermon, part rave, and wholly unforgettable.
What inspired you to create House of Life and the character of RaveRend?
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.
What is it about the 8-step guide to happiness that makes it resonate with audiences, and how did you select the steps?
I don’t think we realised quite how much it would do until we got it in front of people. We thought we’d have a good time and make some banging tunes for sure but were truly overwhelmed with how much of an impact it seemed to be having on people. We had people coming back 5 / 6 times using the show as their therapy for the week.
We had the initial idea for the show in early 2023 and then were suddenly hurtling towards the Edinburgh Fringe with very limited time, a brand new baby and a whole lot of grief. We were at a moment in time of feeling such polarised emotions of joy and sadness and we tried to find steps that genuinely felt like opportunities to feel a little bit lighter. And framing the show in a slightly parodied wellness cult felt like the perfect answer.
How do you ensure that no two performances are ever the same? Do you find it challenging to create a fresh experience each time?
The show features a lot of interaction with the audience and we build our soundtrack each night based on our chats and their responses. It keeps it fresh and alive cos truly anything could happen. We’ve had conga lines, 92 year olds pouring champagne over and groups of 150 strangers sat on the floor crying and singing in Spanish.
Your show seems to create a strong sense of community. How do you build that connection with the audience, especially since the crowd plays such an important role in the experience?
For me it’s what the show was made for. I wanted to create a moment that felt live and responsive and I think that is so integral to build the genuine-ness of the connection. I love the slight danger and electric feeling of an audience coming with you for the ride. And genuinely leaving more connected. I think it’s about creating a vibe that allows people to feel open and not feel like they’re on the edge of being ripped apart. Never punching down. Always checking in before any kind of interaction. And encouraging genuine responses rather than the quick punchline.
You’re taking the show on an international tour—what excites you the most about bringing this energy to places like Oslo and New York?
Mainly to see if they will get my joke about Heron Foods…
The show was framed around this parody church type cult. Although I’m in no way religious, it wasn’t about ridiculing those cultures. It’s about celebrating places where people come together. Football matches, protests, churches etc. And the UK audiences (and the international audience of Fringe) have been bang on board with it.
So, getting the chance to share that in different spaces and to find out how different places respond to it is exciting. We have a section in the show where we ask people something that pisses them off and one of our most common responses is “slow walking”. What will the responses be in Oslo cos from here it seems like a utopian bliss like space to be. And New York looks like it’s gonna be an ABSOLOUTE hoot. We’re popping up in 3 very different venues across the city and it really is a dream come true kind of moment.
For tickets and info: https://www.houseoflife.me