Every Brillaint Thing

Soho Place - Sue Perkins

'Mental health needs to be talked about.' This message is displayed in an uplifting, empowering piece of theatre, performed each night by one of five different well-known performers.

Trigger warning: This show is about mental health and suicide.

How can a list of good things bring an audience together? Very well. Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe have written a divine show that tackles the topic of mental health in a unique and uplifting way. Each performer will bring something new to the story and hold an element of creative reins to their interpretation of the story. It relies on aspects of audience participation, and the comedy and unity of the show grow from the involvement. The story is about a character who grows up with a mother who struggles with her mental health, and the character writes her a list of brilliant things that are worth carrying on life for. This list goes on and becomes a huge part of the character's life, and brings people into their life. Whilst the topic of the show is heavy, it is tackled in such a wholesome and empowering way. This list, whilst it seems such a small thing, it is so much more. So what do you think are brilliant things?

On the evening I attended, it was one of Sue Perkins' performances. She was interacting with audience members pre-show to ask them to get involved, so do not worry, you're asked before the show, and you won't be unexpectedly pulled out of the audience. Her performance is very grounded and down to earth; she reacts to each unexpected audience reaction and finds the comedy in these moments. This is a beautiful skill, because it reminds you to find the positive in each situation. She clearly delivers the story, and the character arc and the importance of the list to the character are clear. She shows clearly how her character grows with the list. One of her strongest skills is how she moulds the audience members into these pillars in the character's story, and how she connects with them like real characters in the story. One of the elements that disconnects you from the show is how, in between scenes, the actor will go collect the microphone or have a drink from side stage. There is nothing wrong with this. What would help is perhaps something going on with the technical aspects to fill the gap; this would prevent the scenes from feeling fragmented by this pause.

The show is performed in the round, and the set is minimal. Sue Perkins navigated this setting well and seemed to be actively aware of how to evenly interact with each angle. Each addition to the set is significant to the list. For instance, there is a divine, wholesome moment that I will truly treasure, where a disco ball falls and Sue Perkins pulls audience members on stage and gets the whole theatre to dance in this moment. Whilst it is just a simple disco ball, what it represents and the happiness that is passed around the room, bouncing from audience member to audience member, is so unique. When the cards with lines to deliver are passed to audience members, whilst they are additions to the list, the repetition of audience members saying different things can feel like when you're in the classroom and each student has to say a line from a book. It's great to get the audience involved, but could this element be developed or portrayed in other ways? This would keep your engagement in the piece and focus on the stage. Whilst this does ensure the unity of the audience and becomes more wholesome when you understand the meaning and power of the list, at times it can feel disengaging and repetitive.

This is a therapeutic piece of theatre, and I've spoken to others who have also watched the show, gone home and written their own list. It's wonderful how the show empowers you to appreciate the smallest, trivial things in life and makes you pick up beautiful things in your surroundings. It really makes you think how a section of the show discusses how suicide can be interpreted as contagious, but then has subconsciously convinced audience members to go away and analyse positive things in their life, without enforcing it on them. It is such a clever, poignant piece of writing. The uplifting energy of the show is contagious, and it's so refreshing, as there have been so many shows that cover mental health that are heavy and leave you thinking in an emotional way. The beauty of this show is that not one night will be the same; every performance will have something new!

Every Brilliant Thing makes you go home and get your loved ones involved with crafting this list. As soon as I left the theatre, I had a 30-minute phone call with my fiancé, and it was just us listing brilliant things. Then, the next day at work, I got my work colleagues to help me make a list, and one of them said it gave them a warm feeling inside. It got my colleagues laughing and talking about positive things on a busy day. So yes, it is a contagious, uplifting show that will make you look after your mind in a non-preachy way.