We take a look at how critics have been reacting to Duncan Macmillan’s one man play, running in New York until the 24th May.
The Guardian: *** “Basically, the show works because Radcliffe more or less wills it to. It would be misleading to call his performance a high-wire act, because he intentionally stays closer to the audience’s level. As a medium-wire act, though, it’s still plenty brilliant.”
Time Out: *** “Radcliffe is a spark plug, and his interactions with the audience are peppered with charming improvisation. But his star power has a down side. In 2014, when Every Brilliant Things was performed by a less well-known actor, the British comedian Jonny Donahoe—who is credited with contributing to the final script—it was possible for the audience to assume it was autobiographical. That can’t happen here, for obvious reasons, and that shines a more glaring light on the play’s actual story, which is vanishingly slender. “
Talkin’ Broadway: “Even if we can’t directly identify with these experiences, we most certainly can identify with the participating audience members and the star’s interactions with them. This is the wizardry of Radcliffe’s performance and the magic of live theatre, and why it is that Every Brilliant Thing is able to grab hold of our hearts, leaving us, at least briefly, with a renewed appreciation for friends and loved ones and the good things in life. And in this day and age, that is something to be cherished.”
New York Theater.me: “What’s not lost is Radcliffe’s performance. Jonny Donahoe, the co-creator of the show and originator of the role, had experience as a stand-up comedian; he was also a big guy who looks as if he’s about to give you a bear hug. These would not likely be among the top attributes of his Broadway successor in the role. But Daniel Radcliffe is also a witty, energetic and generous host, a cool hand at comedy (as we saw in “Franklin Shepard INC”) and something more.”
Variety: “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.”
Exeunt NYC.com: “Granted, I was very close to the stage, but it still felt like Herrin, Macmillan, and Radcliffe were able to envelop all 970 of us in this small, personal story.”
Deadline: “Every Brilliant Thing is unsparing and clear-eyed in its presentation of the realities of depression and suicide, yet glows with a hopeful, life-affirming aura that convincingly depicts the value of struggle, and the beauty in tenacity.”
Theatrely.com: “The actor is a revelation, though I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone who could have retired a multimillionaire at 22 but keeps pushing himself into new challenges really does love what he gets to do for a living. Beside Radcliffe’s magnetic charisma, it’s his palpable joy in the project that shines brightest. There are a few reactions carefully calibrated for maximum fawning, sure, but his demeanor throughout suggests that he, too, is working through the meaning of performance; of engaging strangers through the one-way mirror through which they’ve grown accustomed to seeing him.”
New York Stage Review: ***** “But in a world where pain, cruelty, and violence are all too present, the notion of listing and remembering all that is good—favorite things, brilliant things—provides an anchor to hold onto. As an evening with Radcliffe in Every Brilliant Thing at the Hudson powerfully demonstrates.”
Theater Mania: “But even Radcliffe’s seemingly effortless charisma can’t entirely disguise a shallow, generic feeling at the heart of Every Brilliant Thing. For all its noble intentions, this mixture of TED Talk, improv, and interactivity adds up to little more than a glorified “it gets better” homily.”
Entertainment Weekly: “It seems almost incongruous to talk about what a great time you will have watching a play centered around depression and suicide, but what Every Brilliant Thing does is create almost a communal support group filled with constant reminders of the things that make life worth living. And with Radcliffe as our guide, this show definitely makes the list. “
New York Post: “The natural qualities that made Radcliffe a perfect Harry echo in the unnamed main character in Duncan Macmillan’s 2013 mental-health play: his excitable geekiness, comforting aura and palpable interest in other people.”
To find out more visit: https://everybrilliantthing.com/