Review: ADELAIDE FESTIVAL 2017: EVERY BRILLIANT THING at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Fiona Talbot-Leigh, Friday 17th March 2017

Every Brilliant Thing is a play about depression and the lengths we go to for those we love.

British actor James Rowland takes on the role that earned a string of awards and nominations including New York's Drama Desk Award. This fabulous, intimate and poignant show is an unforgettable experience for adults and teenagers alike.

Rowland is UK in an Ed SHeeran kind of way, the boy next door type with whom you instantly strike a rapport, and it is for this reason that, as an audience member, you are easily drawn in. Well, that and the fact that over three-quarters of the audience actually participated in this brilliant piece of theatre. Let this not be a fact to put you off though as it is no way confronting as Rowland has the uncanny ability to not only deliver this exquisite piece in a down to earth and heartwarming way but to include and guide his fellow actors;( i.e differing members of the audience) so seamlessly that they just follow his lead and the results were surprisingly poignant and beautiful.

This is a show that covers new ground, the likes I have never seen or experienced before. Performed in the round and punctuated with great music, Rowland takes us through what it is like to be the child of a depressed parent and how it feels to be caught up in their multiple suicide attempts.

For a subject that is quite serious, this show addresses it in a very hope-filled and life-affirming way. Rowland's performance was so warm and open and it felt like you were having a chat with a friend instead of being performed to.

We were reminded that life can be stranger than fiction as we all have a story to tell that is worthy of being listened to. Throughout the performance, there was much laughter and fun, but you could have heard a pin drop in the poignant and subtle moments, such is the ebb and flow of this show. During the course of the evening as well as connecting with the performer you find the audience also connects with each other as we are all in it together so to speak, fellow performers whose emotion, reading skills and acting were all put on the spot with wonderful results, making this one of a kind show a talking point during the Adelaide Festival. Such is the nature of this show it could be played for years and never run out of an audience.

Rowland's truth and honesty shined through in his performance and I would add that to the night's list of Brilliant Things. To post a comment, you must register and login.

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