'Every Brilliant Thing' Brodway Review: Danel Radcliffe Shine

Mar 12, 2026 8:00pm PT ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Broadway Review: Daniel Radcliffe is Warm, Funny and Deeply Moving in a Thrilling One-Man Show By Aramide Tinubu Plus Icon Aramide Tinubu Latest ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Broadway Review: Daniel Radcliffe is Warm, Funny and Deeply Moving in a Thrilling One-Man Show 4 minutes ago Nicole Kidman Is Dynamic in Prime Video’s Sensational Serial Killer Thriller ‘Scarpetta’: TV Review 2 days ago Steve Carell’s HBO Comedy ‘Rooster’ Is Dated and Uninspired: TV Review 1 week ago See All Matthew Murphy Discussions surrounding mental health are finally becoming commonplace in society. Therapy and psychiatrists are no longer an anomaly in everyday conversations, but suicide and suicidal ideation are still taboo. In their arresting play, “Every Brilliant Thing,” co-creators Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe are tackling suicide and deep-seated depression with a levity and wit rarely depicted on stage before. Starring Tony Award-winner Daniel Radcliffe, the solo production is unique and thrilling, reminding viewers of life’s magical and, yes, brilliant delights. Related Stories Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Speaks Out After Losing Warner Bros. Bid: Paramount Offers Were 'Irrational,' Relied on Political Pressure Because It's 'Cheaper to Make Noise' Warner Bros. Discovery Likely to Take New Paramount Skydance Offer Under Review While Still Recommending Netflix Pact to Shareholders Directed by Jeremy Herrin and Duncan Macmillan, “Every Brilliant Thing” opens as the unnamed narrator (Radcliffe) lists some of the things he finds most enticing about the world: ice cream, roller coasters and his dog, Indiana Bones, to name a few. The narrator goes on to reveal that he started this list in the fall of 1996 when he was seven years old. He began crafting it, he reveals, the first time his mother was hospitalized. Told initially from his child-like perspective, the narrator reflects on a disorienting, puzzling day when his father picked him up late from school. Without the capacity to truly understand his mother’s illness aside from his father saying she “did something stupid,” he explains how it all felt to him. After being left to his own devices, the narrator composes a catalog of his personal joys to lift his mother’s spirits. Popular on Variety After explaining all the books, music and the school librarian and her delightful sock puppet, Poppy Terrific, who carried him through this time, “Every Brilliant Thing” continues across several decades. The narrator reflects on his mother’s second hospitalization, which he admits he didn’t handle as well as he did as a child. He recounts his college years, illustrates the jubilation of burgeoning love, and depicts a wedding and a funeral. All the while, he continues to add to the list even as his own mental health begins to falter.  ​The distinctiveness of “Every Brilliant Thing” can’t be understated. In the Broadway production, audiences are seated in both the house and on stage with Radcliffe, forming a circle around the performer. Having minimal props and no other castmates, Radcliffe engages directly with the crowd. Spectators are given numbered cue cards and prompted to call out the many gratifying things on his list. Others offer props like pens and books. Meanwhile, some are asked to stand in as characters in the play, including the narrator’s father, lover and Mrs. Patterson, the kindly librarian. Radcliffe improvs gamely with his “co-stars” throughout, drawing them out of their shells or responding to their idiosyncracies. As a result, no two performances are ever the same. This distinctiveness enables theatergoers to engage more fully with a narrative that is centered on living and indulging in the human experience rather than simply acting as passive observers. This fosters a level of camaraderie rarely found on Broadway.​In turn, the play requires a certain type of performer to carry the story through its 70-minute run time. Radcliffe lends himself beautifully to the material, while simultaneously allowing the crowd to curate the experience for themselves. He is energetic, earnest and sincere from the moment the production begins right up until his final line. As an actor, he delivers a beautiful comedic sensitivity that might not land as eloquently in different hands. It’s clear the “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Harry Potter” actor cares deeply about the play and its themes, so the tone never feels too light, nor does he drag the audience into a dark hovel of despair. Broadway performances, despite their sensational acting and writing, often follow a certain set of conventions. However, “Every Brilliant Thing” shatters the format, making it a true breath of fresh air. The difficult topics of depression and suicide are referenced throughout the show’s script. Yet the show is a reminder that amid all the challenges and heartache that life throws at us, there is always something to look forward to, even if it’s just for a little while. Jump to Comments ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Broadway Review: Daniel Radcliffe is Warm, Funny and Deeply Moving in a Thrilling One-Man Show The Hudson Theatre, 970 seats, $390 top. Opened March 12, 2026. Reviewed March 11. Running time: 70 MINS. Production: 'Every Brilliant Thing' is produced by Second Half Productions, Seaview and Gavin Kalin Productions. Crew: Producers Second Half Productions, Seaview, and Gavin Kalin Productions are thrilled to announce that Tony Awardwinner Daniel Radcliffe will return to the New York stage this spring, in the Broadway premiere of the acclaimed, stirring solo play EVERY BRILLIANT THING by Olivier Award nominee Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe. Directed by Olivier & Tony Award nominee Jeremy Herrin and Duncan Macmillan. Set and costumes, Vicki Mortimer; lights, Jack Knowles; sound design, Tom Gibbons; casting, Jessica Ronane CDG; production stage manager, Jhanaë K-C Bonnick. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe ‘Pachinko’ Stars Kim Minha, Noh Sang-hyun Reunite for Netflix Rom-Com ‘Messily Ever After’ Netflix Says Paramount Has Paid $2.8 Billion Breakup Fee for Warner Bros. 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