Every Brilliant Thing (@sohoplace Theatre, West End) – ★★★★★ REVIEW

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: Mickey Jo Theatre
Date: August 26, 2025
Episode Focus: A passionate, in-depth review of the West End premiere of Every Brilliant Thing, exploring its themes, staging, audience participation, and emotional impact.

Overview of Episode

Mickey Jo delivers a heartfelt review of Every Brilliant Thing at Soho Place, celebrating it as a transformative, communal piece of theatre. The episode explores why the play resonates so deeply, how its structure invites the audience into the narrative, and reflects on both the universal and personal themes of joy, grief, and hope. Mickey Jo shares his own experiences with the show—having seen the original run at the Edinburgh Fringe and this new West End production—while highlighting the unique features of this staging, including its alternating cast.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Every Brilliant Thing (01:33)

• The play revolves around an unnamed protagonist compiling a list of life’s brilliant things for their mother, following her first suicide attempt.
• It's a monologue, but inherently interactive; performers (notably Johnny Donahoe) involve the audience directly, creating a sense of shared experience.
• Five performers alternate in the role: Johnny Donahoe, Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins, and Minnie Driver.
• Quote:

  “Brilliant thing number one million and one: spending just over an hour in a room with a group of strangers, being reminded what it is that you love about theatre and also what it is that you love about life.”
  — Mickey Jo (01:33)

2. Universal Themes and Emotional Arc (03:33–08:00)

• The play examines mental health, grief, and joy through the protagonist's evolving list, initially created for their mother but ultimately meaningful to themselves and their community.
• Childhood entries (e.g., “ice cream,” “staying up late”) give way to adult joys (“the smell of old books,” romantic moments), illustrating how our perception of happiness matures.
• The list’s collaborative aspect allows others (friends, romantic partners) to add their entries, highlighting the importance of community in finding joy.
• Quote:

  “The list... has its initial and original purpose, which is reasons to live, joys worth holding on to, an impetus... to carry on in spite of huge emotional challenges.”
  — Mickey Jo (06:07)

• The adaptability of the play for different cultures and countries is praised, as productions often substitute entries to suit local experiences.

3. Navigating Darkness & Light (08:00–12:00)

• The narrative does not shy from the protagonist’s own depression as an adult—the inability to recognize joy, the world “turning to grayscale.”
• The arc reflects life: unpredictable, sometimes painful, yet punctuated by hope and renewed connection to joy.
• Quote:

  “It is at times painful, but it is ultimately also joyful. That is to say, full of joy.”
  — Mickey Jo (11:15)

4. Audience Participation: Structure & Impact (14:42–18:40)

• Audience members receive slips of paper with list entries and are called upon to read them out, reinforcing the communal aspect.
• Volunteers become part of the narrative (as protagonists’ father, teacher, romantic interest, etc.) in creative, often humorous ways.
• Participatory moments like confetti-tossing at the wedding scene visually embody shared storytelling.
• Mickey Jo applauds audience members’ willingness and Johnny Donahoe’s skill in shepherding participation, balancing comedy, warmth, and sensitivity.
• Quote:

  “It brings us all closer to the play and, in doing so, closer to each other. We are all connected to this thing that’s happening in the room…”
  — Mickey Jo (16:30)

• Small comic incidents (audience “teacher” with a sock puppet, or exchanging real audience members’ books) reinforce the immediacy and unpredictability of live theatre.

5. Johnny Donahoe’s Performance & Alternate Cast (19:08–20:54)

• Mickey Jo expresses deep admiration for Donahoe’s handling of participation and emotional beats, but is “intrigued” by the other alternate cast members.
• The protagonist and love interest roles are written without specific gender, allowing for a range of interpretations and inclusivity.
• Quote:

  “I can scarcely imagine someone being quite as deft at the audience involvement and doing it so charmingly... as Johnny is.”
  — Mickey Jo (20:00)

6. Handling of Mental Health, Grief & Suicide (23:22–30:20)

• The play grapples with suicide sensitively—never glamorized or speculated upon, instead treated as a difficult but real part of life.

• Mickey Jo highlights a standout scene: the audience “acting” out the family dog’s euthanasia using a volunteer’s coat, blending comedy with meaning; the object-ness of the coat post-euthanasia is used to drive home the reality of loss.

• Notable quote on hope:

  “We have to imagine a future that is better than the past. That’s what hope is.” (24:55)

• The script references the “Werther Effect,” discussing how reporting on suicide can influence behavior—a call for responsible narrative around the topic.

• Joy and connection are ultimately presented as cultivated, resilient responses to life’s challenges.

7. The Role of Music & Final Reflections (29:05–30:20)

• The play cleverly incorporates music, halting the story so everyone can experience the euphoria together.
• This mirrors both the protagonist’s and the audience’s relationship to joy—sometimes fleeting, but always possible.

Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• On Theatrical Community:
  “It is one performer on stage, but it's very much in conversation with the audience... a magical bubble of community and theatre that doesn't burst for the duration of the piece.” (03:15)

• On Audience Participation:
  “We are all now emotionally connected to it, and because more people around us are becoming involved... we are connected to the people sat next to us, sat behind us and sat in front of us.” (16:44)

• On the Nature of Joy and Grief:
  “It’s the audience members reading out happy memories and happy thoughts that injects joy back into the space... it empowers us to carry on through what is at times a challenging narrative.” (18:00)

• On Inclusive Casting:
  “There is nothing necessarily within the text... to gender either the protagonist character themselves or the romantic interest, which I think is great.” (20:42)

• On Loss and Hope:
  “We have to imagine a future that is better than the past. That’s what hope is.” (24:55)

• On Suicide in Media:
  “Every time a suicide is reported as front page news, there is subsequently a spike in people ending their life by suicide... this is called the Werther Effect.” (27:00)

• On Music’s Power:
  “There is a euphoric inclusion of music in this show... it is celebratory, it is passionate, it is excitable.” (29:07)

Structure & Segment Highlights

• [01:33–03:33] — Show introduction, origin, and cast details
• [03:33–08:00] — The evolution and symbolism of the list
• [08:00–12:00] — Navigating joy, grief, and mental health in the narrative
• [14:42–18:40] — Audience participation: mechanics, comedy, and significance
• [19:08–20:54] — Reflections on Donahoe, alternate cast, and performance style
• [23:22–30:20] — Deep dive on grief, suicide, hope, and the role of music

Tone and Language

Mickey Jo’s review is effusive, empathetic, and often humorous, striking a balance between critical insight and raw personal enthusiasm. He deftly combines theatrical analysis with moving personal reflections, encouraging listeners to engage both intellectually and emotionally with the work.

Takeaway

Mickey Jo frames Every Brilliant Thing as an essential, transcendent piece of theatre—at once deeply personal and universally resonant—whose immersive, participatory nature offers audience members both comfort and challenge. His review affirms the enduring power of live theatre to cultivate empathy, community, and hope.

“It is, to put it simply, a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant thing, and one that I hope that you have the chance to experience for yourself... It’s been a genuine delight sharing my passion about this play with you.”
— Mickey Jo Theatre (30:20)