The Book of Everything

Following acclaimed, award-winning seasons in Australia and New York, one of Belvoir’s most cherished productions, The Book of Everything, returns to the stage for the first time in over a decade 

Thomas isn’t an ordinary 9-year-old – he can see the extraordinary: canals bursting with tropical fish, hailstorms in summer, plagues of hopping frogs. He draws them all in his book, The Book of Everything. And in that book he also writes a promise to himself: When I grow up, I’m going to be happy. For his stern and serious-minded Papa, the only books that matter are about God. Thomas’ young misunderstandings are met with punishment instead of laughter. But when Papa attacks Thomas’ beloved Mamma, he has definitely gone too far.  

Adapted from the children’s novel by Dutch author Guus Kuijer, The Book of Everything explores some complex realities, but this “hilarious, honest and beautifully rendered” play (The Guardian) is also a magical story that makes the heart sing – of a child who learns what to do when he’s most afraid, and how to face the wrong in the world. 

Directed by the legendary Neil Armfield, Belvoir co-founder and artistic director for seventeen years, this beloved production returns to captivate a new generation.