EVERY BRILLIANT THING 

by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe 
featuring Sarah Robertson  

October 1-10 - Tour to SK High Schools with OSAC* 

March 17 - April 17, 2025 - Saskatchewan Tour with OSAC

Locations: Assiniboia, Biggar, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Indian Head, La Ronge, Macklin, Melfort, North Battleford, Preeceville, Prince Albert, Regina, Rosthern, Shaunavon, Swift Current, Tisdale, Weyburn, and Yorkton, presented by the Organization of SK Arts Councils

*Student matinee locations Oct 1-10 - Kindersley, Hudson Bay, Estevan, Moosomin, and Langenburg, presented by OSAC, and Saskatoon

“You’re seven years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy.

You start a list of everything brilliant about the world. Everything worth living for.

1. Ice Cream.
2. Roller Coasters.
3. Peeing in the lake and nobody knows.

You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling.”

Twenty years and thousands of things later, the list will take on a life of its own. Be drawn into an astonishingly funny comedy about depression, gratitude, and the lengths we go to for those we love. An epic celebration of life’s joys in the midst of pain, based on true and untrue stories.

Audiences are captivated by this exhilarating solo performance that's like no other – a deep dive into emotional well-being through wit, wisdom and hilarity. Theatre’s power to bring people together in loving respect is vividly alive in this play, undoing stigma around mental illness. 

Creative Team

Starring: Sarah Robertson
Directed by Stephen Waldschmidt
Sound Design & Music Direction by Tim Bratton
Scenic Design by Tim Bratton and Stephen Waldschmidt
Stage Management by Mackenzie Dawson

The performance runs about 80 minutes, plus an optional 10 minute talk-back with the artists.

Audience Advisory: Contains discussions about severe depression, not suitable for young children. Recommended for ages 14+.

2023 production photos from the OSAC Showcase and Bez Arts Hub, Langley

Photos by Tatum Duryba, Paper Moon Photography, taken at the OSAC 2023 Showcase, and by Daniel Sittler, taken at Bez Arts Hub.

Critical Acclaim for EVERY BRILLIANT THING

“Heart-wrenching, hilarious… one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop.” ★★★★ – The Guardian

Critic’s Pick – The New York Times

Critic’s Choice – Los Angeles Times

“the funniest show about depression you’ve ever seen… [It’s] about finding reasons to live… And those reasons can be as minute as wearing a cape and as big as falling in love.” – New York Post

Audience Buzz 

“Do everything you can to see this fabulous play… it is brilliant. Our family LOVED the play and the actor… ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ allowed us to enter a mystical space… Sarah Robertson made us laugh so hard as she taught us, held us, loved us, encouraged us and gave us courage… I can’t say enough about the experience…” –Bev Wilson

“I was riveted by [Every Brilliant Thing]. The script and Sarah Robertson’s performance were powerful. I loved how she engaged with the audience… This experience transformed my understanding of what theatre can accomplish. Bravo and thank you!” –Rosie Perera

“I was blown away by the production and the performance… I hope you are selling out. You deserve to.”‬ –Louis B. Hobson, Calgary Herald theatre reviewer, in an email to BTT

“Burnt Thicket Theatre’s production of Every Brilliant Thing was just that – brilliant! I have never witnessed a play with this much seamless audience interaction. [The performer] has an uncanny ability to make everyone feel at ease, and so the scenes of audience participation were natural, funny, without embarrassment, and ultimately moving in so many ways.” –Morris Ertman, Artistic Director, Rosebud Theatre 

“I saw our audiences entertained, challenged and healed… This production was one of my favourite experiences in the theatre. Ever.” –Val Lieske, Managing Artistic Director, Fire Exit Theatre, Calgary

“As both an actor / playwright and a Mental Health / Substance Abuse Worker I found the play to be very groundbreaking... generously educating about mental health, primarily suicide. I loved the interaction with the audience, and watching how the story unfolded and produced healing. The content was a heavy subject, yet the play didn’t traumatize instead it gave a beautiful dose of insight.” –Wanita Bird, Community Addiction Counsellor of Ahtahkakoop, First Nation Mental Health First Aid facilitator, email to BTT

About Every Brilliant Thing

Burnt Thicket’s production received the 2018 SATAward for Outstanding Leading Performance (Jenna-Lee Hyde), and nominations for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction. Since 2008 Burnt Thicket Theatre has toured live plays to over 44 cities across Canada, from Halifax to Victoria. 

This run follows a two week tour to high schools across Saskatchewan, in partnership with OSAC. Burnt Thicket’s Every Brilliant Thing filled extended runs in 2018 and 2020 here with Live Five Theatre and Winterruption Festival, at Regina’s Globe Theatre, Calgary’s Fire Exit Theatre, all summer of 2022 at Rosebud Theatre, and last fall at Bez Arts Hub in Langley, BC. This spring the show will tour our province for five weeks, presented by the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils.

2022 production photos at Rosebud Theatre, AB

More Audience Buzz

“With artful direction and a humane, absorbing performance by Sarah Robertson, Every Brilliant Thing embraces a very difficult subject with extraordinary amounts of empathy and energy, creating a very fine balance between kinetic storytelling and time-stopping, emotional moments.” – Philip Chiu (professor­-accompanist Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal & l’Université de Montreal)

“I go to a lot of theatre and this is in my top 5 of all time!! I have never felt so involved in a one person play and rarely have I seen a serious subject dealt with so well balancing humor, sentiment and sadness” –Joy R.

“All the very good things I’d heard about Every Brilliant Thing paled in comparison to what was actually going on in the theatre today… Jenna-Lee Hyde gave us the most generous, authentic experience of this story and through it, her true, evident care for and of us was truly heroic. She seemed to take each and every one of us by the hand, never with a sideward glance to anyone else, never hinting at a lack of confidence in us or in where she was taking us, and made each of us in that audience feel like one of the Brilliant things on the list.” –Brad G. Graham, Facebook post

“Every Brilliant Thing @LiveFiveTheatre is brilliant — a play about depression that gives you one million reasons to be happy. One million and one: great performances in great plays. Go see it, this weekend or next.” –Rod Macpherson, Twitter post

“THANK YOU for encouraging me to go see this ‘show’… I hesitate to call it a show ‘cuz it was more like watching a live spontaneous sharing of thoughts, memories, with no feeling of it being memorized show lines. Quite extraordinary. My brain is thinking differently now. Yup, this one will change you.” –Diane I., Facebook comment

Previous Creative Team Members

Jenna-Lee Hyde* – Performer (2018 & 2020) - jennaleehyde.com
Stephen Waldschmidt – Director & Scenic Co-Designer
Tim Bratton – Sound Designer, Music Director & Scenic Co-Designer
Charlie Peters – Lighting Designer
Alana Freistadt*, Mackenzie Dawson, Elizabeth Schieman – Stage Managers

*Burnt Thicket Theatre engaged under the terms of the INDIE 2.2, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

In the News Media 

Read more buzz here

Watch interview with Jenna-Lee Hyde & Stephen Waldschmidt on CTV News Saskatoon (start video at 17:50).

“Live Five is focusing on mental health as it opens the curtain on its 15th season, presenting Burnt Thicket Theatre’s EVERY BRILLIANT THING.” –StarPhoenix article

“Show ‘the funniest thing about suicide and depression that you’ll ever see.’” –Saskatoon Express article

Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors

Current Sponsors: SK Arts
Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils
Canada Council for the Arts
Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation
Creative Saskatchewan
Riversdale Neighbours Church
Élisabeth Foucault Fund for Youth Theatre
Stobbe Photo, Saskatoon
Globe Printers, Saskatoon
College Park Community Church

Previous Sponsors who helped us first create this production:
Shercom Industries (Season Sponsor 2018-2023)
Conversations Consulting, Saskatoon
Wellen Boring, Saskatoon
Prairie Fusion webhosting