Every Brilliant Thing

Name: Every Brilliant Thing
Start: 2025-09-01
End: 2025-09-27
Location: @sohoplace

Author(s): Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe Company: Second Half Productions in association with Nica Burns and Paines Plough

Venue: @sohoplace, London Dates: 1–27 Sep 2025

You’re seven years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy. You start a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything worth living for. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling.

A child attempts to ease their mother's depression by creating a list of all the best things in the world. Through adulthood, as the list grows, they learn the deep significance it has on their own life. Every Brilliant Thing is a comedy about the lengths we will go for those we love.

The season opens with Lenny Henry (August in England, Bush Theatre; Othello, Northern Broadsides) followed in date order by Jonny Donahoe (co-creator and original performer Every Brilliant Thing), Ambika Mod (One Day, Netflix; This is Going to Hurt, BBC) and Sue Perkins (The Great British Bake Off, BBC; Just a Minute, BBC Radio 4).

All information was correct to the best of our knowledge from details supplied to us but may be subject to change or inaccuracies. Please contact the companies or venues to confirm details.