ALL THE HAPPY THINGS Will Premiere At Soho Theatre

SH Productions has announced the world premiere of All The Happy Things, the debut full-length play by playwright and actor Naomi Denny. A dark comedy about the powerful bond shared by siblings and the complexities of grief, told through a Global Majority lens, All the Happy Things was written as part of Soho Theatre Writers' Lab and shortlisted for the Tony Craze Award.

All The Happy Things' cast includes its playwright Naomi Denny in the role of Sienna with further cast and creative team to be announced.

Sienna is trying to deal with her grief by clinging on tightly to what she knows - in short, she's seeing her dead sister everywhere she goes. As Emily's presence becomes more and more overwhelming, the line between happiness and delusion becomes more and more blurred. How do you truly let go of someone when you imagined they'd be there forever?

Naomi Denny: “I wanted to write about loss but I didn't want to write a sad story. So, All the Happy Things is a play about finding the light in the dark. It is about the silliness, the unique language, the shared memories that you have with your sibling. The characters are influenced by - although not based on! - my sister and me, and echo the experience of so many of us who have siblings: we bicker, we fight, but we love each other so much we can't bear to let the other go.

It means so much for this show to premiere at Soho Theatre – where I wrote it five years ago whilst working Front of House. It feels like such a full circle moment that the audiences I once ushered into these spaces will now come to see the show that I've written. I want these audiences to leave the show wanting to call their siblings; to laugh, to cry, to be moved – and above all, to appreciate all the happy things that come with having a sibling.”

Jules Haworth, Soho Theatre Creative Engagement Associate: "Naomi's play All The Happy Things captured the hearts of our Tony Craze Award judging panel. Naomi's ability to draw complicated relationships hits deep, through ordinary characters attempting the daily grind, while balancing extraordinary love and loss. With her creative flair and natural talent for collaboration, it's no surprise her career is taking off as one of this generation's brightest theatre-makers."

Naomi Denny was a member of Soho Theatre Writers' Lab in 2020. She was the first recipient of Tamasha Theatre Company's artist mentorship programme and is currently a member of Hampstead Theatre's Inspire programme, under the mentorship of Roy Williams. Her previous writing includes Unseen Unheard (Theatre Peckham) and Essentially Black (Soho Theatre, Camden People's Theatre), which is currently being adapted for television. Naomi's acting credits include Maryland (Royal Court Theatre), Paper Straws (VAULT festival), Breathtaking (ITV), and Dreamland (Sky).

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