Here he goes again _{by Madelaine Empson}

If you live in Wellington, no doubt you saw all the feather boas and sequins glittering across town when Mamma Mia! made its dazzling debut at St James Theatre. If you were lucky enough to catch the musical, you’ll remember a knockout performance from Glenn Horsfall, who found playing Harry Bright – one of bride-to-be Sophie’s three potential dads – “such a joy”.  

With less than two weeks’ rest post-Mamma Mia!, Glenn is about to take the stage again to play a very different role. “Myself, although to be honest, Harry is pretty close to me”! The Pōneke singer and actor will revive his one-man show This Wasn’t the Plan: A Musical Theatre Cabaret for the TAHI: New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance at The Hannah for one night only on the 12^th of September.

I can imagine performing This Wasn’t the Plan is quite the tone and vibe shift!

On the surface they look very different. Mamma Mia! is a big, joyful musical, and This Wasn’t the Plan is me on stage telling my own story. But at their core they share something in common. Mamma Mia! is about how Donna’s life did not go to plan, and that is the thread running through my cabaret as well. The struggles, the detours, the pain, and the humour all resonate with me too. The difference is that instead of ABBA songs carrying the story, I use musical theatre numbers to help bring my own story to life. I feel so grateful that the show has taken on a life of its own and that it has been received with such warmth. 

How did it go last time and what feedback resonated with you the most?

The response [at the 2025 New Zealand Fringe Festival] was overwhelming. Winning Outstanding Solo Show was an honour, but what really stayed with me were the people who said they saw themselves in my story. They recognised the messy parts, the resilience, the uncertainty, and the successes. I had thought the people who knew me would connect the most, and that it would be an interesting show for friends to hear about my life. What surprised me was that the strongest feedback came from strangers, who found their own reflections in what I shared. It might not be the same memory, but it often sparks the same feeling. That sense of recognition and connection was the most rewarding part.  

What impact are you hoping to have on audiences this time around?

I hope people leave entertained, but also feeling like they have been part of something real. Life is not always glamorous or straightforward. Sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is funny, and sometimes it is both at once. By sharing both the highs and the lows, I want audiences to feel seen in their own stories too. If they leave smiling but also carrying a spark of recognition or encouragement to be less afraid, then I will feel like I have done my job.