Reviewed by: Zimo Lee

Within an intimate theatre experience, International House Theatre Group presents a play that speaks to the ups and downs of everyday university life. With yellow rose door gifts clutched in our hands, the lights dim and fall upon an actor on a soapbox in front of a Chinese noodle restaurant. Not a typical beginning for a love letter, but a memorable one nonetheless.

This is not what I ordered presents expectations versus reality, both for the characters onstage and their audience. A romance-adverse character finds themself in a lucky, albeit unexpected turn of events, scoring a date. A hopeful visits the same bar in wait for the guy they’ve been exchanging glances with. A waitress who spots a lady sitting alone is quick to uncover the deets of who she’s waiting for, followed by an unexpected end.

In short, not many people got what they ordered, but perhaps that is just what gives the rickety landscape of our lives its charm. It’s frustrating, disappointing, and downright anxiety-inducing at times; yet with it brings a sense of community and interaction that is hard to replicate elsewhere, like the sharing of a conversation with a heartbroken stranger at a party who’d only met that night; a one-off a but poignant moment.

This is not what I ordered certainly tickled its audience with its relatability and comedic points, whilst also holding a heartrending theme throughout its scenes, floating above the stage as the lights and props made their dance from bar to bar, restaurant to street-side, with seamless ease.

Featuring five different scenes, each standing within their own narrative and ‘love letter’, This is not what I ordered is bound together by the strong performances of its actors and backstage staff, all of whom worked toward choreographed costume changes and props that bring each scene to life. Particularly, despite the return of familiar actors onto the stage, each delivery held a tone and soul specific to their characters, demonstrating range and serving audiences the perfect illusion.

A lasting feeling of bittersweetness remains after the play. A drop of something that tugs at the heart and the curve of a smile playing on my lips despite it – the embodiment of the play’s themes in one mocktail of emotion. Its comedy was full of well-timed pauses, witty comments, and the use of awkward conversation which we’re all familiar with. This is not what I ordered pays homage to the arcs, regrets, and humours of university life, something we all would learn to chuckle at with time. 

All letters had their authors, after all. Perhaps one day you would find yourself the protagonist of one similar scene, too. Which begs the question; what are you hoping for, and where will it bring you next?