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Every Brilliant Thing (@sohoplace) Review: Life-affirming, heartwarming and poignant

Posted on | By Hay Brunsdon

  1. Going to the theatre

  2. One-man plays

  3. Plays that successfully mix pathos with moments of comedy

  4. The unique way that audience participation brings together a group of strangers

 

That’s how Every Brilliant Thing begins—just a list. A child writes down the things that make life worth living to help their mother through depression. The list starts with ice cream and escalates to “how Ray Charles sings youuuuu” in the song Drown In My Own Tears. Years pass. The list grows. So does its meaning.

I saw Lenny Henry perform this solo piece, though the cast rotates—Ambika Mod, Minnie Driver, Sue Perkins and co-creator Jonny Donahoe will all take turns during its run @sohoplace, recently extended until November. Whoever takes the stage, the effect is the same: a safe, open space where big laughs and quiet emotion are given equal weight



The in-the-round staging amplifies the show’s ‘support group’ feel, with monologue and audience interaction blending seamlessly. Henry weaves each audience contribution into the story with ease, creating moments of unexpected intimacy. What could feel awkward instead becomes connective—gentle, communal, and quietly powerful.

In a nutshell, this is an uplifting play about depression. Paradoxical, yes—but intentionally so. The show’s power lies in its lightness. It avoids sensationalism. Instead, it echoes what suicide prevention experts stress: hope helps. As critic Lyn Gardner wrote, “I am confident that it has saved lives, and you can’t say that about many plays.” Maybe that’s because, as playwright Duncan Macmillan has said, “I didn’t see anyone discussing suicidal depression in a useful or interesting or accurate way… The gesture behind the show is to find the way to talk about the most serious things you can talk about in a way that isn’t serious.”

And maybe, by the end, you’ll go home and start your own list.

 

Every Brilliant Thing plays at @sohoplace until Sat 8th November 2025. Book your tickets today.

By Hay Brunsdon