Some plays move us, others make us smile, and still others manage to do both. This fall 2026, theater favorites keep coming and it's at the Théâtre de l'Œuvre that we let ourselves be touched by the show All the Brilliant Things, written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Laurence Gray and Bénédicte Bailby. We attended the premiere on October 5th, and we were immediately won over. So, since the play runs until December 22nd, here are 3 great reasons not to miss it!
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1) An interactive one-woman show
On stage, there is only Laurence Gray, surrounded by simple décor: several white moving boxes, a turntable and a vinyl record lying on the floor. When the story begins, her character is just 7 years old and has just learned that her mother attempted to take her own life. Yet in this little girl's story, a multitude of characters come to life: the veterinarian, the father, the school psychologist and her sock-puppet dog, Sam — who will become her future husband. To bring them to life on stage, Laurence Gray directly calls on members of the audience, making each performance even more unique than the last one.
And then there's the famous list, that list of all those little things that make everyday life amazing. A list that the audience is also invited to take part in: the ice cream, bubble wrap, Nina Simone's voice… In the crowd, voices rise up to name these numbered pleasures one by one, which seem trivial but which, when you really think about it, hold an essential place in our lives.
©Lisa Lesourd
2) A difficult subject tackled with gentleness, carefree spirit, and humor
Behind this childlike carefree attitude and this ever-growing list of little joys that expands as the play progresses lies a much darker subject, yet a central one: depression and suicide. Without ever slipping into melodrama, Laurence Gray guides us through her character's life, from childhood to adulthood, evoking both joys and hardships, with tenderness, poetry, and humor. And even when, at certain periods of her life, she forgets it, the list always ends up reappearing as if to bring her back to the present and remind her of what truly matters.
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3) A Reminder of Life's Beauty
The concept of this list, precisely, is as communicative as it gets. Dozens, hundreds, then thousands of elements—little moments of happiness—make it up and complete it, reminding us, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, of the importance of these everyday things we sometimes dismiss as trivial.
And that's perhaps the genius of this piece. We leave touched, with the reflex, barely settled into the metro, to create a new note on our phone to write down, ourselves, our little moments of joy. Number 1: elderly people who thank us repeatedly when we give up our seats on public transport, number 2...
©Lisa Lesourd
All the Brilliant Things
Théâtre de l'Œuvre
Until December 22, 2026
Mondays and Tuesdays at 7pm
More info