Julia Bon-McDonald
It took me a while to write this review. One reason for that is because I actually like this show so much that I’m worried I can’t be objective about it. I wanted to sit with my thoughts for long enough that this doesn’t read like a love letter to This Wasn’t The Plan… hopefully it worked. I also think though, that Glenn bared a little of his soul to us. So maybe, in the spirit of This Wasn’t The Plan, I should do the same for him.
It’s difficult to keep an audience engaged for 90 minutes (with an interval, mind you), especially as one person - Glenn did it. If you, like me, were a religious watcher of that one video of Jeremy Jordan singing ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ by Celine Dion, then this is absolutely the show for you. This Wasn’t The Plan is rife with references. It’s an assortment of iconic musical theatre tracks, sung beautifully, by the incredible Glenn Horsfall. I would have stayed in that stifling hall for another 3 hours, listening to him sing whatever he wanted, and talk about whatever he liked.
My dad (a former journalist) has often told me that journalists love journalism about journalism. I think similarly, creatives love creations about creativity. I am a creative who loved This Wasn’t The Plan, but it is my view that anyone would love this show. Glenn gets personal about his journey through the landscape of professional musical theatre, and the process of redefining what success really looks like - something I think anyone could relate to. I laughed, I cried, I tried to hide how much I cried because I was crying a lot. Horsfall has that excellent gift of being able to turn every anecdote into the Best Story Ever, you just can’t help getting invested.
Glenn is actually so compelling on his own that I found the props used in the show to be a hindrance - in my view he doesn’t really need them. Conversely, the accompanying visuals by Scott Maxim, and even videos (shout out to Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision) were outstanding. I loved that we got pictures of Glenn that were concurrent with each stage of his life, and it really added to my investment in Glenn’s story.
The polish on this piece cannot be understated, it has all the hallmarks of a great team of outside eyes, along with expert direction from Nick Lerew. It was giving Trinity College Musical Theatre Exam in the best possible way; by which I mean that it felt meticulously practiced, and carefully refined down to its very best parts. Which is crazy considering how utterly natural Glenn’s performance is - I think he might be made to do this. And the repertoire! The thing I love most about a revue-style show is that the performers get to choose what works for them, and when you have a voice like Glenn’s, that means you get to pick from the best of the best.
The real beauty of Glenn cherry-picking his own setlist, is that it redefined these well-known musical theatre tracks within the context of his own life. It cut straight to the heart of why musical theatre is so lovable. I mean, who amongst us hasn’t had a big old cry to ‘Wait For It’ from Hamilton, or screamed the lyrics to ‘Rose’s Turn’ from Gypsy, or performed a one-man rendition of ‘The Confrontation’ from Les Mis? I’m guessing quite a few people haven’t, actually. But if you really get what I mean, you need to go see This Wasn’t The Plan.
I can’t overstate how much I related to this show. Glenn’s story is so deeply personal, and yet so familiar. He has a bright, classically trained voice and clearly knows his strengths. He is a phenomenal storyteller, and I’m so thankful that his story has culminated in making This Wasn’t The Plan. It might not have been what young Glenn had in mind, but it looks a hell of a lot like success to me. This Wasn’t The Plan is on at Thistle Hall on 22 February, and 28 February - if it isn’t already obvious, I’m imploring you to go see it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - and an A++