An uplifting play about depression, Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing has become a global phenomenon since its Edinburgh fringe debut 10 years ago. It has been performed in 63 countries in around 400 professional productions, and is hugely popular with amateur companies. Now its original star and co-author Jonny Donahoe is back in the role at the fringe, in a revival directed by Macmillan.
The play’s conceit is simple. In response to his mother’s suicide attempt, a young boy makes a list of all the things worth living for – like water-fights, ice-cream and “things with stripes”. As he gets older the list keeps growing. The magic lies in the way the audience are invited to participate. They are assigned lines and even roles in the story. Almost everyone contributes and a community is created.
