Bob Odenkirk Would Like to Remind You That Life Is a Meaningless Farce

With war, political wrangling and price hikes jockeying for headlines, it’s a rare thing to sit for an hour with a large group of strangers and focus on the small pleasures in life. But that’s what the show “Every Brilliant Thing” is all about.

Since 2013, Duncan Macmillan’s audience-participation-heavy play has been performed in dozens of languages in hundreds of locations across the globe. It revolves around a central character who writes a list of all the good things in life for a depressed parent. And while it tackles dark subject matter — including frequent mentions of a loved one’s suicide — it may be one of the funniest shows about depression, ever.

In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Michael Barbaro talks with Daniel Radcliffe, who currently stars in a Broadway production of the show, and Mariska Hargitay, who will step into the role in a few weeks. We’ll also hear from the playwright and several other actors who have performed the play on stages, in living rooms, on basketball courts and aircraft carriers all over the world.

On today's episode:

Daniel Radcliffe
Mariska Hargitay
Duncan Macmillan
Candunn Jennette
Greg Dragas
Mugambi Nthiga
Erika de la Vega
Jung Sae-Byul
Mohsina Akhter
Tommy Schoffler
Nanda Mohammad

Background reading:

‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ Now Starring Daniel Radcliffe and You

Daniel Radcliffe Makes ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Shine

Daniel Radcliffe Wanted a Break From Broadway. Then He Read This Play.

Photo credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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