๐๐๐๐๐๐!
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ - ๐๐จ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐
"๐๐ถ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ."
Think of a Brilliant Thing. While you do that, let me tell you about something truly brilliant I experienced yesterdayย
Every Brilliant Thing is a 75-minute one-person show with some delightful help from the audience. Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, it begins with a deeply personal and poignant story: the narrator recounts the first time their mother attempted suicide. In response, the child starts compiling a list of lifeโs most joyful pleasures โ things like ice cream and staying up past bedtime.ย
The beauty of the show lies in its honesty. It gently teaches us that while finding the brilliant things in life can help us cope, they may not always be enough to fix everything. But the act of noticing them matters.
For this performance, the storyteller was none other than Lenny Henry. His presence in the round offered a 360-degree connection with the audience, creating an atmosphere that felt both intimate and inclusive. In a world where mental health still carries far too much stigma, Henryโs performance made space for empathy, vulnerability, and hope. His portrayal delicately revealed how so many of us mask pain behind a smile โ something conveyed with striking power through his nuanced monologues.
Make no mistake: this play isnโt just heavy. Itโs also wonderfully funny. The tone remains light, and the audience gets to be part of the story โ maybe as a librarian, a father, or even a sock puppet. Henryโs charm, wit, and warmth brought out laughs while still honouring the emotional weight of the piece
Other names attached to the production include Jonny Donohoe, Sue Perkins, Ambika Mod, and Minnie Driver โ a lineup for a production that deserves every bit of praise
This is more than a play. Itโs a powerful reminder of how fragile and precious life is โ and why itโs worth treasuring the little things, especially with those we love
So, did you think of a brilliant thing?
The sound of rain tapping on the window...
Now tell us yours.
Then book this play
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