Every Brilliant Thing

A warm welcome awaited me from Chairman Henry and Vice Chairman/Director Elie on my first visit to new NODA members Shoreham Village Players. This was to see a play I hadn’t heard of, but what a treat was to come. 

The ‘stage’ was a carpet in the middle of the small hall with chairs for the audience to sit ‘in the round’. A bank of ceiling lights with a variety of lampshades was above the carpet. What we were about to see was a most poignant piece of theatre by one man only known as The Narrator.

The play’s setup is simple yet powerful. It revolves around a list of every brilliant thing in the world, compiled by a young boy from age 7 through to adulthood in an attempt to lift his mother out of her depression, from ice cream and rollercoasters to the joy of laughing. The list is not just for his mother but also for him. What was most remarkable was his supporting cast was us - the audience, not just a requirement but a necessity. Some of the audience, as they entered, were handed pieces of paper which contained items from the list, so we were not just observers but participants. The Narrator was Will Desmond, what a talented young man. He had the ability to connect with each individual in the audience drawing them into their part of the story without making them feel self-conscious. The way Will seamlessly integrates these interactions into the narrative is nothing short of masterful.

While Every Brilliant Thing is filled with humour and warmth, it also touches on the  darker aspects of life such as mental illness, loss and the struggle to find happiness, but  through the laughter and the audience participation it never feels overwhelming. Instead, it’s a celebration of resilience, of finding joy in the small things, and of the importance of human connection. This is a play that should be seen more, but you have got to have a Will Desmond!

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