Piers' life hasn't quite worked out as he hoped. Deflated by his prospects after graduating university, he's taken a job as a temp, teaching a lesson on community values to those looking for work. While desperately trying to impress the sea of faces sat in front of him, he calls upon a man in the audience, absent-mindedly doodling on a notepad. Without knowing it, he's just kicked off a chain of events that will shape the rest of his life.
This is the starting point for My Plan For Tomorrow, the latest semi-immersive show from Spare The Rod, a theatre group founded in 2018 by George Abbott and Alfie Lanham Brown. The show previously enjoyed a sold-out run at the Pen Theatre and returns now at the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell following further development based on audience feedback and a crowdfunding campaign.
Photo: Rachel Burnham
Exploring themes of masculinity, personal accountability, success, and failure, My Plan For Tomorrow follows Piers (Alfie Lanham-Brown) through several decades of his life. From the seminar he's reluctantly teaching to a chance encounter at a comic book convention years later, and finally at a work-mandated therapy session, we see him repeatably struggle to accept the reality that his life didn't turn out how he hoped.
Written by George Abbott, the text is at times engaging and thought-provoking, especially when commenting on topics such as class inequality and substance abuse. Dominic Daniel's portrayal of Ian carries particular weight in the second half, despite the narrative becoming somewhat muddled. By the show's conclusion, it is unclear exactly what the show is trying to tell us, and a bizarre conclusion appears out of nowhere, leaving the audience unsure whether to clap and leave the venue or wait for another scene to begin.
Photo: Rachel Burnham
In terms of immersion, My Plan For Tomorrow has a novel approach for the audience is treated and integrated into the show. While they're seated throughout and have no real interaction with the cast, they are technically playing the collective role of observers - from the group of prospective jobseekers to the patiently waiting crowd at a convention, they're a constant presence in all three scenes, and their silence is acknowledged throughout by the cast.
Photo: Rachel Burnham
Whether intentional or not, it's a rough position for a show to be putting its audience in - they're forced to reconcile with the fact that despite repeated on-stage cries for them to engage, their role is to ultimately keep quiet and just observe. When audience members do attempt to meaningfully respond, they're glossed over, even when they're done so at the request of the characters. Equally, when the audience doesn't respond to these requests, the silence is weaponised against them, implying they should in fact be engaging.
Overall, My Plan For Tomorrow is at times a thought-provoking and engaging production that delves into complex themes of personal and societal struggles. While its innovative approach to audience engagement is commendable, the execution will likely leave audiences wishing it was clearer exactly what their role was meant to be from the outset.
★★★
My Plan For Tomorrow is running at the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell until 3rd August. To find out more about the show, and to book tickets, visit goldengoosetheatre.co.uk
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