Written by Duncan Macmillan, the monologue premieres in Luanda through Camões – Centro Cultural Português after more than 150 shows and around 30,000 spectators in Portugal.
Actor Ivo Canelas was honored with the Solo Show Award by the 2020 Theater Guide and Todas As Ciências Maravilhosas was included in the list of the 30 Best Shows of 2019 by Comunidade Cultura e Arte, highlights Camões in a statement.
In the show, Ivo Canelas, "invites the public to remember the importance of recognizing and being amazed by the things that surround us, addressing, in an emotional way, themes such as depression, suicide, family and love", says the note from press.
In the immersive play, a child writes a list of wonderful things, reasons to live, with the aim of trying to help his mother recover from depression, after her first suicide attempt.
Camões-CCP highlights the importance of the topic of mental health, considering that the play, presented on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place on September 10th, "has never been as relevant as it is today".
The Portuguese-speaking institution marks the anniversary with the presentation of this play, whose box office proceeds from the two shows will go towards the Psicologia na Banda Project, which develops interventions in the area of psychology in the neighborhoods of Angola, in order to help people to deal with everyday problems and understand the importance of psychology.
The project involves the participation of several mental health professionals, psychologists, social workers and personal development facilitators.
Duncan Macmillan is an award-winning British author who addresses major societal issues such as parenthood ("Lungs"), addiction ("People, Places and Things"), depression and suicide ("All the Wonderful Things"), having has already been awarded several distinctions.
"All the Wonderful Things", which premiered at the Fringe festival in Edinburgh and sold out three reruns, became a worldwide success, after the premiere of the film version, broadcast on the HBO channel, with a performance by Jonny Donahoe.
Ivo Canelas attended The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in New York, as a scholarship holder from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and, in addition to theater, he has participated in more than thirty national and international film and television projects.
Throughout his career he was awarded several awards in all three areas.
