“Chong is used to directing actors, and he proves a dab hand at coaxing audience members into entertaining exchanges. Despite some nerves and awkward pauses from those unused to being in the limelight, Chong smoothes over the raw edges with his quick improvisations and easy rapport.”
– The Straits Times
“If you live a long life and get to the end of it without ever once having felt crushingly depressed, then you probably haven’t been paying attention.”
When I was seven
I made a list of all the good in the world
Every brilliant thing worth living for
It was a gift for my mother
I hoped she would find a reason to live
A man, a list, a million brilliant things.
A healing journey with me, navigating the struggles of life with abundant laughs.
Following a sold-out run during Huayi 2022, Oliver Chong returns to Huayi 2023 with a renewed staging of Every Brilliant Thing.
A one-man show with interactive segments, Every Brilliant Thing is a unique production that invites audiences to shape the protagonist’s journey, with warmth and spontaneity. Co-created by audience members, every show is vastly different and promises to uplift spirits and accord brilliance.
This year, let The Finger Players journey through and celebrate Every Brilliant Thing with you.
About the show
A boy embarks on a relentless attempt to create a list – a list of all things brilliant about the world. Perhaps this list would lift his mother’s spirits, perhaps this list would stop her from doing something drastic, perhaps it might prevent her from yet another suicide attempt.
A weighty story told with an open heart and plenty of levity, audience members will be invited to participate by taking on various characters, embarking on a journey to uplift one another.
Created by contemporary British playwright Duncan Macmillan, with comedian Jonny Donahoe, Every Brilliant Thing has since embarked on a world tour after the nomination for a Drama Desk Award at its premiere in 2013, and a rapturous reception from audiences and critics alike at the Edinburgh Festival in 2014.
Playwright: Duncan Macmillan (UK)
Translator: Oliver Chong
Director: Oliver Chong
Actor: Oliver Chong