Lenny Henry in Every Brilliant Thing. Photo by Helen MurrayA youngster experiences trauma and confusion at the age of 7 when his mother first attempts suicide. In a bid to encourage her to focus on the wonderful things in life, he begins writing a list of EVERY BRILLIANT THING he can think of, starting with Ice cream. He then leaves the notes dotted around the house and other places, for her to find. It’s the sort of innocent, ahhh-inducing device which in the wrong hands could feel cloyingly saccharin and manipulative, but which here imbues proceedings with a naive collective charm. This is partly achieved through considerable audience involvement with pre-primed attendees being given cards to read out as list numbers are called, with a few making their way onto stage to act as a university professor, a vet and a former lover, among others.
The inherent randomness and variability of the format ensures that every show will be different, but the central themes of maintaining positivity in the face of adversity, and openness in recognising and dealing with mental health issues, remains integral to each performance.
As he progresses through life, his list of simple and joyous things runs to hundreds of thousands of entries, scribbled in books and stored in folders and boxes. When read aloud by audience members, they raise smiles and elicit knowing murmurs of recognition and appreciation, and in one instance, a particularly pseudo-intellectual rambling generated applause and laughter.
As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that his father’s relatively constrained emotional input has conspired to undermine his emotional development. This manifests in arguments when his wife encourages him to seek professional help and they separate for a period causing the list to falter. Following a phone conversation with a sympathetic librarian from his school days - or more specifically, the sock puppet she uses to unlock his emotional suppression, he begins identifying more wonders in life and the list continues to a million entries, ending in an upbeat and uplifting note.
Running time 75 minutes without an interval. Other performers who will appear include: Jonny Donahoe, Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins and Minnie Driver until 8th November.
