My Brother’s a Genius – Leeds Playhouse

Writer: Debris Stevenson

Director: Eleanor Manners

Debris Stevenson’s profile in the text states, “My Brother’s a Genius is not just a play about neurodivergence, it’s a play made with neurodivergence.” As such it occupies its own space, with exact identities and the reality of events somewhat clouded in confusion on the audience’s part, but it displays as much wit as fantasy and rather more than emphasis on education for special needs. All in all, though your reviewer couldn’t claim to follow everything exactly, it emerges as an oddly charming piece of work, not least because of the enormously likeable performances of Jess Senanayake and Tyrese Walters.

One challenge to identity comes in the number of characters identified in the play script – no fewer than 14. On stage, apart from the twins Daisy and Luke, one is aware of some teacher/psychologist (precisely drawn by Walters), Mum and Dad, with lines often delivered with perfect synchronicity by Senanayake and Walters, and an anonymous voice over, described in the text, rather sweetly, as Big Person.

The piece proceeds with the twins’ birthdays from five to 20. To begin with they are inseparable, with Jammz’ music echoing Stevenson’s grime philosophy in song and underscoring emphatic quick-fire exchanges. The problem comes when they have to go to Big School: Luke is sent to what they call “a school for geniuses”, while Daisy, condemned to a Tube journey to Epping, hits trouble from the start and is diagnosed with dyslexia, autism and ADHD. Later Luke undergoes a searching examination for autism assessment.

But both understand each other and are happy together and, when separated, with trying to work out their way to fulfil their dreams. Both essentially wish to fly, so Daisy joins a circus training course and Luke, spurred on by letters apparently from Elon Musk, wants to be the first teenager on Mars.

To Stevenson “the music is the body is the word” and this shows in the varied expression of Daisy and Luke’s hopes and dreams, with song alternating with dialogue which is full of poetic expression, disarming repetitions and made up and corrupted words. Eleanor Manners’ free-wheeling direction gives full rein to these.

Now performed in Leeds Playhouse’s subterranean Bramall Rock Void, but originally commissioned by the National Youth Theatre and first performed at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, earlier this year, My Brother’s a Genius is the product of work with dozens of young people and youth groups. After all that the choice of Jess Senanayake and Tyrese Walters could hardly be bettered, both wonderfully animated (some nifty climbing over the set) and, above all, perfectly attuned to each other.

Reviewed on 14 March 2026