My Brother's a Genius review – neurodivergent twins' dreams take flight in poetry, grime and dance

[My First Viki]

In "My Brother's a Genius", playwright Debris Stevenson weaves a captivating two-hander about neurodivergent twins Daisy and Luke, whose close sibling bond is marked by intimacy, ambition, and fantasies of escape. The play seamlessly blends poetry and movement, with grime compositions that infuse the performance with infectious energy.

Jess Senanayake and Tyrese Walters deliver impressive performances as the twins, navigating their unique experiences with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and more. Their raps are notable for their charm and chemistry, conveying a deep affection between the siblings. Under Eleanor Manners' direction, however, the pacing could benefit from a slower tempo to fully absorb the drama's emotional depth.

The production's visual design is somewhat ambiguous, with Erin Guan's set comprising a curtain, swing, and cardboard stereo system that fail to provide clear context for the narrative. The movement and action in the play can also be murky at times, making it challenging to follow scene transitions.

Despite these minor quibbles, "My Brother's a Genius" is an absorbing drama that delves into the complexities of neurodivergent experiences. The script, penned by Stevenson, showcases his unique talent as a playwright and poet. The show's use of omniscient narration adds depth and layers to the narrative, although it occasionally leads to confusion.

When it clicks, however, "My Brother's a Genius" is an exhilarating experience, particularly in scenes like Daisy's breakout moment in circus training, where she finds solace and belonging. Tyrese Walters' portrayal of Luke as a protective yet single-minded brother in denial is also noteworthy.

Ultimately, the show's success hinges on its words, with Stevenson's poetry and grime compositions taking center stage to convey the twins' dreams, desires, and struggles. As an idiosyncratic and infectious drama, "My Brother's a Genius" affirms Debris Stevenson as a gifted playwright, leaving audiences enthralled by his unflinching portrayal of neurodivergent experiences.

 

[Tho]

I gotta say, this play is pretty cool . I loved how the script blended poetry and movement - it's like nothing you've ever seen before! The cast, especially Jess and Tyrese, did a great job bringing those twins to life . The music was infectious and really added to the energy of the performance.

But, gotta say, the set design could use some work . I mean, I get what they were going for with the cardboard stereo system and swing, but it felt kinda confusing at times . And sometimes I had trouble following the scene transitions - maybe slowing down the pacing a bit would help? .

Despite that, I really enjoyed the play's portrayal of neurodivergent experiences . It's not always easy to talk about, but Stevenson did an amazing job bringing it to life. The use of omniscient narration was also pretty cool . When everything came together, man... it was magic .

 

[Kind Ko]

just saw this play "my brothers genius" the twin performances were on point and the grime music was infectious i loved how it showed the struggles of having dyslexia, adhd, and autism but at times the pacing felt a bit rushed i'm not sure if they could've done with more scenes to show the full emotional depth

 

[Average Aardvark]

I just saw this play and I gotta say, it was SO intense ! The way the twins' bond is portrayed is so real, you can feel their pain and struggles with neurodivergence. But what really stood out to me was how the grime beats infused the whole performance - it added such a unique energy . Tyrese Walters as Luke was particularly captivating, his rap skills are insane ! The only thing that threw me off was the pacing, felt like some scenes were rushed . Still, overall I'd give it 4/5 stars ️️️️, can't wait to see what Debris Stevenson comes up with next!

 

[Comfort]

I just watched this play with my friends from school drama club and I gotta say, it was crazy how much energy they had on stage . The twins' raps were so cool, I loved the bit where they talked about their dyslexia and how it affects them. It's not often that we see plays like this in our school theatre productions, you know? The set design could be better tho , but overall I think it was a great show! And can we talk about Tyrese Walters' performance as Luke? He brought so much depth to the character, I felt bad for him . Anyways, I'm def gonna recommend this play to our school's drama society to perform it, it'd be lit

 

[Carefu]

omg i just saw this play with my friends and it was SO cool! i loved how the poetry and movement blended together to create this whole new language i mean, tyrese walters as luke is literally EVERYTHING but what really got me was daisy's break out moment in circus training - she just lets go of all her anxiety and finds her flow it makes you wanna scream "YES DAISY, YOU GOT THIS!"

 

[Poised Peccary]

I'm loving the energy of this play ! The way Jess and Tyrese bring Daisy and Luke to life is super impressive . I mean, their raps are straight fire , but at times, I felt like they were trying too hard to convey the emotions. I wish the pacing was a bit more chill .

The visuals could've been better, tbh . The set and lighting design just didn't give me much to take away from the story . But hey, it's not like it ruined the whole experience or anything... I think?

What really stood out to me was how raw and honest the play felt . Debris Stevenson gets it right in portraying neurodivergent experiences, and his poetry is on point . The way he uses the omniscient narration adds a whole new layer to the story .

For me, the show's biggest strength lies in its emotional depth . When Daisy finds solace in circus training, it's pure magic . And Tyrese's portrayal of Luke is super nuanced . All in all, "My Brother's a Genius" is an exhilarating experience that'll leave you breathless .

 

[Helpful Hyena]

idk about this play being called genius ...it feels like they're trying to fit too much in there - all these different issues with the twins and the raps and the movement...at times it's hard to follow or fully absorb what's going on . and don't even get me started on that weird set design ...i mean, a cardboard stereo system? come on! still, the performances are pretty strong from Jess and Tyrese, and Debris Stevenson's writing is definitely unique . but overall, i think it's more like an interesting experiment than a fully fleshed out masterpiece

 

[Full]

I went to see this play last night and I gotta say, it was pretty lit ! The twin acting was on point , especially when they rapped about their dyslexia struggles - it was so real . But what really got me was the set design... or should I say, lack thereof ? Like, how hard is it to create a clear story line? Still, the energy in that place was electric ️ and the poetical bits were fire . All in all, Debris Stevenson's writing is straight fire and this play is not to be missed!

 

[Silly Cheese]

I gotta disagree with all this hype . I think the play is overhyped and the production values are kinda meh . I mean, I love a good grime composition as much as the next guy, but it felt like they were just phoning it in to make it sound cool . And don't even get me started on the set design – cardboard and curtains? Come on! It's not exactly the most immersive experience.

And I'm not buying the whole "neurodivergent experiences" thing being a new and groundbreaking topic. We've been seeing stories about autism, dyslexia, etc. in theatre for years now . It's cool that Stevenson is tackling it, but does he bring anything new to the table? I'm not convinced.

I also didn't find the pacing issue a big deal – I think it actually added to the sense of unease and uncertainty that the play was trying to convey . And what's with all the focus on the words and poetry? Can't we just enjoy the performance for once without analyzing every single word ?