Every Brilliant Thing about this play on depression and suicide

Totally not what I expected but what I needed to watch on Mental Health Month.

Sundays are for church, brunch and afternoon siestas. Now watching a play about depression and suicide? That’s definitely not my idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon. But hey, that’s what happened this past weekend. As you may know by now - if you are a chronological type of reader - earlier this year, I set a goal of watching at least one play a month. After a two-month hiatus thanks to life getting busy, I knew I couldn’t let another month slip by. At the very least, I needed to keep one New Year’s resolution alive. So, swayed by those Instagram ads, I bought a ticket to go watch “Every Brilliant Thing”, a play written by Duncan MacMillan,  produced by MadFun, directed by Julisa Rowe and acted by the amazing Mugambi Nthiga.

Before I dive into the review of the play, I’d like to divert a bit with a rather unpopular opinion - depression seems to be the hottest topic these days, but the truth is, it feels like we’re really missing the mark on truly understanding it. A bad day or a bout of sadness gets thrown under the “depression” label way too often. Please note, I am not in any way downplaying the reality or the facts - today, depression affects one in 10 people. But if we’re going to be honest, despite the fact that we are talking about mental health more openly, do we truly understand what depression is and how it manifests? 

This was the question that sat at the forefront of my mind as I went to watch this play. Would it be a sunshine-and-rainbows take on depression, all PG-rated and sanitized? Or would it dive headfirst into the messy reality of this illness, giving it the weight it deserves? I was curious to find out. 

Now, as I mentioned before, the play was written by Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe and first performed in 2013. This Kenyan rendition was first performed last year and went on to win a couple of awards at the Kenya Theatre Awards. Running for about 80 minutes, the play takes us through the story of an unnamed man who, from the age of 7, strives to cope with his mother’s depression and suicide attempts by creating a list of everything that makes life worth living. What unfolds is a story that’s both heartbreaking and hopeful with the reminder to keep seeking life’s little miracles in the midst of it all. 

As a one-man play, I must say that Mugambi Nthiga did the role more than enough justice. He was the perfect man for the job with his ability to bring the story to life in a comical, engaging and utterly authentic manner. From how he began - welcoming the audience with greetings and compliments - to how he continuously engaged us. Actually I should probably say more about this.

Before the play began, Mugambi and some ushers walked around handing audience members cards with a number and a statement. Then, from time to time, he would call out a number and an audience member would respond. Turns out, these statements were some of the brilliant things written by the character. They included everyday pleasures like ice cream on a hot day to profound moments like heart-to-hearts with loved ones.

The audience engagement didn’t stop here. In addition to these, Mugambi also recruited a few audience members to act out different roles - a father, a veterinarian, a lecturer and a girlfriend. Now, I must admit that at first, I found this distracting and worried about how asking unprepared non-actors would impact the show. But as I quickly realized, I had nothing to worry about because this form of audience engagement truly gave this play a life of its own. Our volunteer characters could not have been more perfectly selected for their parts. One particular lady was so hilarious and kept dishing out such creative and plot-twisting responses that even Mugambi himself had to take a moment to rethink his responses. At the end of the play, it became more than just a performance, but a shared experience and perhaps more importantly, a powerful reminder of how mental health issues don’t just affect just individuals, but entire communities.

Ultimately, Mugambi’s performance was masterful. He created a warm, inviting atmosphere making it easy for the audience to connect and participate freely. In fact, it really felt like our friend had invited us to share his story. However, I must point out a few things. There were moments where the play itself - and Mugambi to some extent - could have delved deeper into the complexities of a child coping with a parent's depression and suicidal tendencies. While the humor was perfectly delivered, it occasionally overshadowed the opportunity to explore the full emotional spectrum of this illness. I strongly believe that diving into the darker emotions would not only have created a more touching experience, but would have helped bring more understanding to depression. 

Finally, can we just talk about the music selection for a second? I mean, the play’s music supervisor honestly deserves a standing ovation (and maybe a raise!). We were treated to a superb playlist of old-school records ranging from Ray Charles to Bob Marley and even some Kenyan hits. Each song totally nailed the vibe of the scene.

So friends, in concluding this rather lengthy review (sorry!) I must say, "Every Brilliant Thing" totally blew me away.  It was the perfect Sunday activity, but more importantly, a powerful way to end Mental Health Month. If there is one thing I am learning it’s that we need to do a better job of educating ourselves on mental health illnesses. Depression, for example, is complex, and slapping on labels can have serious long-term consequences (p.s. Here is a great conversation featuring Trevor Noah that explains my statement. P.s.s. Please seek professional help when it comes to dealing with your mental health - WebMD and most podcastors are not effectively equipped to deal with this issue). 

Now for the real conclusion, if you’ve made it to this part of the review, I’d love to hear from you: what are some of the brilliant things in your life that are worth mentioning?

Final Rating:

11 out of 10

Quote of the Day:

I have some advice for anyone who has been contemplating suicide. It’s really simple advice. It’s this:

Don’t do it.

Things get better.

They might not always get brilliant.

But they get better.