Review: Every Brilliant Thing (Sue Perkins) (@SohoPlace)
- All That Dazzles
- Sep 14
- 6 min read
Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Every Brilliant Thing at @SohoPlace, making its belated West End debut after being performed in over 80 countries worldwide. To say I was blown away would be an understatement, as my original five-star review testifies. What makes this show more unique when compared to others is the fact there are five separate performers taking it on throughout its run, each sure to have their own twist on the role. I was keen to go back to see at least one other person’s take on it – in an ideal world, I’d have loved to have seen all five to see how each differs, but sadly time would not allow. However, I did jump at the chance to catch Sue Perkins when she stepped into the role. Having loved the show more than I thought was possible when I saw Lenny Henry’s iteration one month ago, would Sue Perkins’ version be another one to add to my list?
If you are wondering what I mean by list, let me explain the concept of Every Brilliant Thing. The show follows the story of an unnamed person, beginning at seven years old and continuing into adulthood. In an attempt to ease their mum's depression, they create a list of everything brilliant in the world. This could range from ice cream to Christopher Walken’s voice to jumping on a train as the doors close – and thousands in between. The list continues to grow, sometimes with the help of unexpected parties, and when the world proves too tough for our unnamed protagonist, the list may just be the key to getting through it all.
I spoke at length in my original review about what made this such a special show, and I stand by every word of that. What I wanted to talk about this time is what makes it so compelling to attend repeatedly, talking about this show in particular and Sue Perkins' take on the role.
With Every Brilliant Thing, no two performances are ever the same, and that is largely down to how much audience involvement there is. Many audience members are given a card to read when their number is called – kind of like waiting in a McDonald's, but with an entry on the list rather than chicken McNuggets (definitely one that would make my list). As the audience can be unpredictable, given free choice at select moments, and may have their own unexpected ways of reading out their cards, this calls for a performer to be ready for anything, to riff with them, use their improvisational skills, and find the funny in every moment.
Several things went wrong during my first visit with Lenny Henry, causing him to react in his own inimitable style and providing some of the funnier moments of the show. Not much went wrong per se this time around, apart from one audience member misreading the word “aromatic” as “automatic”, leading to Sue going off-script to deliver a hilarious response. If that doesn’t sound like the funniest thing in the world, either you had to be there or you just have no sense of humour. Other moments involve selecting books audience members are carrying on them, asking one to deliver an ad-hoc speech (no spoilers), and another to name a puppet. You could go to a matinee and evening performance of Every Brilliant Thing and see two unique shows, only identical in the message it carries and the response it receives.
Knowing what the show entailed and how much the audience was involved, I deliberately took my seat early with the intent of watching how it was all decided and how it all unfolded. While Sue Perkins opted not to use me in this performance, watching her interact with everybody, select who needed to be moved to front row seats to play bigger parts in the show, and then go over who is where with the team in the show allowed for a peek behind the curtain to see how the magic was made.
Part of what makes the show so successful is how it brings down barriers immediately. By the time the doors to the theatre open, you will find Sue Perkins (or whichever of the five performers you are seeing) already there, walking around the audience, choosing her accomplices and interacting with practically everybody. This isn’t an opportunity to ask for an autograph or a selfie, but merely to bond with the performer in what feels like a community project. By making herself so accessible, she has already ensured a connection with each and every audience member. This means that by the time the show starts, not only are we already invested, but we already feel the words and message deeply, making the deeper moments of the show all the more impactful. The way this is done is like nothing I have ever seen before. While, on paper, it sounds like my idea of Hell (audience participation shudder), there is no way not to enjoy the way the audience is involved and want to be a part of it myself, as I explained to the person with me who was terrified at the prospect of reading a card.
On to Sue Perkins herself, her take on the unnamed role was completely different to Lenny Henry’s take, but every bit as magical and inspiring as his was in my first visit, if not even more. There is a real warmth to Perkins as a person, and while she is reciting a script, there is an authenticity and natural factor to both Every Brilliant Thing and her style, again bringing down barriers and making you think this is her story. Faultless in her execution, finding all of the heart and humour in every list entry, it is her ability to react and respond that makes her performance so enthralling, such as her comments to audience members and her awestruck reaction when an audience member she asked to join her proved to be extremely tall (again, you had to be there).
My understanding is each performer brings a bit of themselves to the role with several tweaks to the show made with their collaboration. I may be wrong but one entry on that list seemed to have a different name to when Lenny Henry did it. A moment where Sue used her musical skills proved oddly beautiful (despite the sheer unexpected comedy that had prefaced it) and seemed to bring even more humanity to the story this time around as opposed to my first visit.
The timing of my visit to Every Brilliant Thing felt very fitting. As protests fuelled by hate raged nearby in London, it felt like the perfect time to remind myself that there is actually some good in the world, even in the scary time that is 2025. That may sound like an extreme example, but bookending my visit by reading horrifying reports of what was going on in the world, just down the road from me, this was the perfect tonic for how scary and incomprehensible the world outside the safe haven of this theatre is at the moment, and a reminder of the real British spirit of love and empathy.
Some shows don’t fare as well on repeat viewing – that is far from the case with Every Brilliant Thing. Where I loved it more than I thought possible on my first visit, I loved it even more this time around, cementing its place as one of my favourite shows of the year. The way no two performances are alike means I could quite happily sit and watch it 100 times in a row, and certainly never get bored. Its message of hope is crucial at a time when hope feels increasingly hopeless. If you are looking for a show that is powerful, life-affirming, and can make you feel completely alive, Every Brilliant Thing should be at the top of your list.
Every Brilliant Thing plays at @SohoPlace until 8th November with Lenny Henry, Jonna Donahoe, Sue Perkins, Ambika Mod, and Minnie Driver all scheduled to appear. (Check website for full schedule)
Photos by Danny Kaan