Every Brilliant Thing
I first met Jarrad West all the way back in 2007. It wasn’t long into our friendship when I first became involved in his live performance work, the first being Jarrad’s production of Angels in America. My job was to sit side stage with a copy of the script. I remember feeling both nervous (I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing) and important (I had the copy of the script).
More recently I have collaborated, rather more confidently, on costumes for Jarrad's production of Beautiful Thing and today, I am sharing a conversation we had about a new work he will be performing in, Every Brilliant Thing.
Emma: Why this play?
Jarrad: It was Joel [Horwood, Director] who actually introduced me to the script by Duncan Macmillan a few years back. They had said they’d love to direct it one day, and when I read it I thought - holy fuck this is something I want to be in. Bearing in mind I always think I’m done with acting, but then something like this pulls me back in again.
E: What was it that pulled you back in? What did you connect with?
J: It’s a coming of age tale about a boy creating a list of every brilliant thing. What starts off as a list to cheer up his mum becomes an important vehicle for appreciating the beauty in life. Plus, he is a bit of a shmo… and let’s just say I can relate to this awkward manchild. Or man. Or child.
E: Lol.
J: But seriously, the play is all about mental health and the understanding that yes, it can be shit.
And we still don’t talk about that, not properly. There is still so much stigma around saying: I need help and I can’t really explain why. We are so conditioned not to complain, not to be seen as ‘whining’.
The story is really about trauma and how it can be generational, affecting you in ways you can’t understand or anticipate.
E: How are you feeling about performing in a solo work?
J: Terrified. It’s something I’ve never done before and I think that is what attracted me to it. Not knowing if I can do something like this, something that is so similar to what I have done all my life but without any of the other accoutrements or safety nets involved is…well, it’s a feeling for sure.
E: I bet. What has the creative process been like?
J: Joel and Carmen [Stage Manager] are both experts in their field, and so creatively they just keep encouraging and guiding me as we go along with Joel directing how they would like various moments and beats to hit, and then Carmen, bless her, keeping me actually on the script as written. And then it’s my job to keep it all together once they’re happy with it.
E: The joys of being a performer. Plus there is an interactive component too, right?
J: My character is not given a name - he’s just the Narrator which puts me in a place of being a storyteller. This means that sometimes I’ll need the audience’s help with various events or characters in my tale. The list of brilliant things itself is also an interactive thing. Rather than me just telling the audience what it is, they are encouraged to read them out also, bringing it to life.
E: What are a few of your brilliant things?
J: Hmm… I’ve been trying to think of a few of my own, but I’ll opt for some within the play that I have a soft spot for:
1.Ice Cream
11. Bed
And 823. Skinny Dipping…
E: Nice. Shall I tell you some brilliant things about you?
J: You are making me nervous.
E: Okay here we go.
1 You always champion queer storytelling, something I appreciate.
2. You have so much courage diving back into acting (again!)
3. You nailed the photo shoot for this show 🥰
J: Aw. Thanks.
Every Brilliant Thing
20-25 August 2024