WRITTEN BY /
Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
Every Brilliant Thing / charts the lengths we go to for those we love.
With his mother in hospital, a young boy constructs a list of little things to help her find a way to be happy. From ice cream and kung fu movies, to Christopher Walken’s voice and laughing so hard you shoot milk through your nose. Can this list help pull his mother from the suicidal depths of depression?
Twenty years and thousands of entries later, the list will take on a life of its own.
In this raw, real and intimate piece of theatre, what begins as a naïve way of dealing with tragedy becomes a life-long reminder that joy can be found in the seemingly insignificant – that the unremarkable can, in fact, become something quite remarkable.
Performed by British comedian Jonny Donahoe, this heart-wrenching comedy will make you laugh until you understand why you cry. From critically acclaimed seasons in Edinburgh and New York, Melbourne audiences will now have the chance to construct their own list of all the brilliant things / worth living for.
A Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre Company production in association with Jersey Arts Trust and Nabokov.
Key image: Andrew Gough
WRITTEN BY /
Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
DIRECTION /
George Perrin
PERFORMED BY /
Jonny Donahoe
DURATION /
60 minutes
WARNINGS /
Contains material referencing mental illness and self-harm*
*Some scenes in this production make reference to mental illness and self-harm. If tonight’s production raises any issues for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24/7). Further resources are also available at lifeline.org.au. For more information about mental illness, contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636, go to beyondblue.org.au or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.