Every Brilliant Thing is a one-person play that first opened in March 2019 at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. Produced by QTP Entertainment, it runs for about 75 minutes without an interval and is suitable for ages 14 and above. The play is written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe and directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee.

The story begins with a seven-year-old boy whose mother is in hospital and finds it hard to be happy. Hoping to cheer her up, he starts writing a list of everything that makes life worth living. Ice cream, pillow fights, staying up past bedtime, the colour yellow, and gully cricket all find a place on it.

As the boy grows older, the list grows with him. Through it, the play gently touches on family, love, loss, and mental health, without ever feeling heavy. It is staged in-the-round, so the audience sits close to the performer and becomes part of the experience. The play invites everyone in the room to share the joy that can be found in everyday things.

Because it is a solo performance in an intimate setting, the focus stays on the story and on the connection between the performer and the audience. Vivek Madan performs the piece, with lighting by Arghya Lahiri and sound by Varrunn Bangera. The production team, led by production manager Rachit Khetan, keeps the staging simple so the story can take centre stage.

What makes the play memorable is its simplicity. It reminds us that small, ordinary things, the ones we often overlook, can carry a lot of meaning. It also leaves the audience with a question that stays long after the show ends: what would you put on your own list?

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