A FUNNY FEELING

Lenny Henry is lighthearted in ‘Every Brilliant Thing’, the 2014 off-the-cuff solo comedy about suicide, but in the 11 years since, it already feels less radical,

- writes Hannah Ewens

Now we call it gratitude journaling. But in the colloquial one-man play Every Brilliant Thing, the narrator simply calls his version of the New Age practice “a list of all the things worth living for”. To cheer up his mother after her suicide attempt, he starts writing down things like: “Ice cream”; “Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV”; “People falling over”. As he gets older - and with the help of the audience - the list grows.

Duncan Macmillan’s heartfelt off-the-cuff story about depression has become a global hit since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe 11 years ago, having been performed in over 80 countries. This year, for the first time, it is landing in the West End at Soho Place, with the solo role played by Lenny Henry. The baton will later be passed to Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins, Minnie Driver, and original star and coauthor Johnny Donahoe.