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Tomorrow Morning

Submitted by Nick Franich on Saturday, 4th Sep 2010
TP Rating: 
0
Reviewer: 
Date of Show: 
Wednesday, 1st September 2010 (All day)
Event: 
Tomorrow Morning
Venue: 
Treble Clef Jazz Club

Tomorrow Morning, a musical with book, music and lyrics by Englishman Laurence Mark Wythe, has been brought to Australia for the first time, thanks to the creative minds at Just Us Productions. Wythe’s acclaimed work will likely remind audiences of other contemporary shows such as I Love You, Because and I Sing, due do their stylistic and thematic similarities, but let it be very clear, this is much more than just another small-scale, niche musical. Indeed, due to the delicacy, intelligence and honesty of Wythe’s writing, it may very well be Tomorrow Morning that goes down in posterity as the preeminent work in this expanding, sub-genre of musical theatre. Just Us Productions had the wisdom and initiative to mount the Australian premiere of this outstanding show, it will most certainly not be the last time it is seen here. 

The story of Tomorrow Morning focuses on two couples, the soon to be married ‘twenty somethings’, pardon the Sex and the City lingo, John and Kat; and Jack and Catherine, who are just about to finalise their divorce. It is the juxtaposition of these two different, but somehow interlinked relationships that allows Wythe to explore a range of complex issues that befall couples in the 21st century.  

 Just Us Productions presented their premiere at the Treble Clef Jazz Club in Chirnside Park. Any qualms about the longish drive from the inner city were quickly forgotten upon first glance at this remarkable venue. Nestled to the left of a long and winding road, the Treble Clef Jazz Club is incongruous in this distinctly open setting. The building itself evokes feelings of some kind of Canadian Ski lodge, minus the snow. The venue oozes charm and warmth, the interior is decked with vinyl records, paintings and other musical paraphernalia that reveals the space as a jazz club, and an impressive, fully stocked bar provides a visual centrepiece. The stage is positioned against the back wall of the venue, and the building’s natural roof beams serve as the lighting rig, adding further charm to the experience.

Being opening night, audience members were given the red carpet experience, unable to move into the venue without first posing for the Snaparazzi. Smiling Musical Director, Glen Barnett, greeted patrons upon entry, handing each a programme and a free drink voucher. Signs were promising even at this early stage. Is there really any better way to enamour an audience than to present them with a free beer, wine or soft drink? Yes there is, give them three of each, but that’s not always possible.
 
Director Joel Batalha succeeds in achieving a production that allows the brilliance of Wythe’s words and music to shine. Batalha has ensured there are no clumsy pauses in between scene changes, with the show running at a sharp, though not hectic, pace that keeps the audience alert throughout the two acts. Moreover, his use of space is clever, the Treble Clef Bar features briefly at the beginning, almost breaking the fourth wall and there are clear character and couple spatial divisions that complement and reinforce some of the show’s key plot movements. Perhaps Batalha’s greatest achievement is being able to foster such genuine, believable chemistry between his performers.
 
It is this, above all else that allows the show to have a real impact on those watching. Batalha should also be commended for his handling of the show’s humour. This show is laden with choice one liners and other more subtle gags and not one of them is thrown away. 
 
Glen Barnett’s musical direction is equally impressive. At first, I was slightly put off by the tall, black partitions that seal the band off from the rest of the space. It was my initial thought that it would be much better to have the band in full view, to the side of the audience, in keeping with the Jazz club environment; however, certain practicalities such as the need to create an exit space stage right may have prevented this. Barnett, with dual responsibilities as both conductor and keyboardist commanded a tight, four-piece band that played with precision and energy throughout the night.
 
My best detective work couldn’t uncover any evidence of a TV link between the performers and the band, and yet musical cues were never missed, and there was a real synergy between band and singers: this is evidence of strong musical direction and effective rehearsal. Barnett also manages to create a nice vocal blend between his four performers, which is particularly impressive considering the diversity of the voice types on stage. 
 
Credit must also go to Sound Operator, Brenton Van Vliet, for maintaining a good balance of sound between the band and vocalists, with neither side fighting against the other. 
 
Josie White provides minimal, but effective choreography. Movement throughout the show is quite deliberate and clean. Making the best of very limited dancing space, White’s choreography in ‘The Secret Tango’ hits the mark, with simple, stylised dance moves adding a further visual dimension to the song.  
 
Blake Testro triumphs in the role of John. This role has a number of those golden one liners and Testro handles the comic aspects with ease. If not performed with the kind of polished subtlety that Testro provides, this character may come across as cringe-worthy or even irritating, especially in the early scenes where the jokes are flying out rapidly. This John certainly does not. Towards the end Testro shows his dramatic range with some equally convincing tense moments. Vocally solid throughout, Testro handles his toughest sing ‘The Lonely Child’ comfortably with some really nice falsetto towards the end, laced with vulnerability. 
 
Taking on the older male role of Jack, Jonathan Guthrie- Jones could easily walk straight from the Treble Clef Jazz Club into an off-Broadway production of this show. His portrayal of a cynical, yet likable and loving thirty year old, awkwardly negotiating his way through a difficult break-up, is utterly convincing. Like his male colleague, Guthrie-Jones has impeccable comic timing, and is able to bring depth to his character through truly believable and often touching, reflective moments, his performance in ‘Look What We Made’ was perhaps the show’s most moving moment. Though the role of Jack doesn’t necessarily have any stand-out vocal moments, Guthrie-Jones demonstrates accomplished singing skills, with his mid-to-low range work particularly warming. 
 
In the role of Catherine, Natasha Bassett excels. In a show that is perhaps less concerned with rousing singing moments, Bassett is this show’s vocal star. She displays a vocal strength and clarity that few females on the non-professional circuit, or the professional circuit, for that matter, could hope to match. Bassett also has a beautiful crisp head-voice, which she invokes at appropriate moments for both balance, and to convey some softer aspects of Catherine’s character, her belt moment in the Act II song, ‘Point of Views’, makes for a hair-raising vocal highlight that audiences will no doubt marvel at. Bassett’s performance is always understated and honest, showing clear growth from the somewhat bitter and austere, to the soft and longing. Bassett doesn’t disappoint in the comic stakes either, with facial expressions effectively used to maximise her character’s funnier moments.
 
Taking the stage alongside three such seasoned, skilled performers, Krystal Shute may well have been excused for feeling slightly intimidated in the role of Kat. But it seems the experience of sharing the stage with such talent has helped Shute take her performance to a new level, as she holds her own in her performance as the young bride to be. Shute has a solid command of the generic American accent that all four performers adopt, and she displays impressive dramatic range; she imbues her character with a real likeability, harmlessness and goodwill that never seems contrived. While Shute’s voice may lack the strength of Bassett’s, it has a sweet and pure quality that is perfectly in keeping with the role. Her crazed, pre wedding outburst, in which she laments at having transformed into a meringue-like figure, provides one the show’s many comic highlights.
 
The show’s setting and lighting design were simple and understated, yet appropriately so. The simple set of the messy lounge room provided a suitable space for the show’s many plot movements, and the clashing red and blue colour division on the backdrop cleverly hinted at the shows many important dichotomies. And just as a the show reminded us of just how unpredictable relationships can be, one of the theatre lights reminded us of just how unpredictable the theatre can be when it spontaneously burst in to flames mid-performance! The actors remained composed throughout this incident, while audience members contemplated whether the billowing flame was enough to burn the Treble Clef lounge to the ground! Fortunately, all was well.
 
Mark Wythe’s Tomorrow Morning is a special show, in that it carefully weaves in and out of intrinsically complex relationship issues with real honesty, and a sharp, often self-deprecating sense of humour that never mocks the seriousness of the content. The quality of Wythe’s writing makes it so much more than a review like show, providing twists and ‘light bulb’ moments that are rare in musical theatre. I implore you to check out Just Us Productions’ version of Tomorrow Morning, all involved have created a dynamic show that certainly does justice to this refreshing, little gem of a musical.  
 
Nick Franich is a private English tutor and a professional writer for a PR firm. He is currently in the final stages of a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Education double degree, and has had a keen interest in theatre – particularly musicals – since a young age. He has performed in shows such as ‘RENT’ with Stella Entertainment, and ‘Urinetown’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ with MUMCo, Cladwell and Pilate respectively, though in recent times his focus has been more on contemporary singing. He had a stint on ‘Australian Idol’, making the Top 100 in 2008, only to be tragically culled by the callous judges, just before reaching the live performance shows. He regularly performs acoustically at corporate events and weddings.  
State: 
VIC