Get Happy Q&A at Omnibus Theatre. © Gary Law
Have you cracked the code to a happy life yet? Maybe all you need is a three-point plan, an AI-empowered Alexa and the right playlist?
Get Happy, the solo show written and performed by Joseph Aldous, comes at the pursuit of happiness from the perspective of a gay man (Adam) approaching his 30th birthday, partying in London’s Soho while resisting the pull of his home and childhood in Milton Keynes.
When his flatmate and best friend gets engaged and moves out, Adam seeks help from Alexa, who comes up with a three-point plan. All he needs to secure his own happiness is:
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- Secure employment
- Stable home
- Healthy relationships
Can Adam get all three in one increasingly frenzied week? He’s doing really well.
Inspired by a pivotal point in Joseph Aldous‘ own life and developed via Soho Writers’ Lab, Get Happy premiered at the Pleasance Theatre in 2023 and returns to the London stage to headline Omnibus Theatre’s 96 Festival. The festival, now in its tenth year, is mounted in remembrance and celebration of the iconic Pride party on Clapham Common in 1996.
Get Happy is written and performed by Aldous and directed by Piers Black, with movement by Phoebe Stapleton, set and costumes by Hazel Low, lighting by Jonathan Chan, sound by Anna Short and additional sound by Annie May Fletcher. It’s produced by Joe Brown.
For a rollicking post-show discussion, I was joined by Get Happy writer and performer Joseph Aldous and director Piers Black, and a very engaged audience – including one who shares a name with a key (very funny) co-worker character – keen to share their own views on mental health, Milton Keynes and the secret to lifelong happiness.
Get Happy must end at the Omnibus Theatre this Saturday 12 July 2025.
Q&A video
With thanks to Georgina Calvey.
Q&A photos
With thanks to Gary Law.
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