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Tomorrow Morning: West End Show at Local Theatre Scale

Tomorrow Morning stands out in my mind as the most memorable performance the New End has put on in quite some time - which is saying something - simply because it's so ambitious. One can only imagine the difficulties involved. A typical large scale West End production has lavish sets, a huge orchestra, and a cast of one or two dozen people. Tomorrow Morning has only four actors, three musicians, and a small set that serves quadruple duty without actually being altered in any way, yet it manages to achieve the same feel and effect.

Theatre.com

By Matt Wolf

"a show here given a highly polished staging from Nick Winston on an attractive Philip Witcomb set that looks ripe - and smart enough - for transfer."

Tomorrow Morning New End Theatre, London
Directed by Nick Winston

Tomorrow Morning Cast Recording

The 2006 New End Theatre Cast Recording of Tomorrow Morning featuring Emma Williams, Stephen Ashfield, Annette McLaughlin and Alistair Robins will be released on the 2nd of December. The shows Book Music and Lyrics were written by Laurence Mark Wythe and was directed by Nick Winston.

The album can be pre-ordered from Dress Circle

From the 5th July to 13th August 2006

The clock ticks by as two couples prepare themselves for the monumental day ahead. When morning comes twenty-somethings John and Kat will marry and embark on a life together, while older couple Jack and Catherine will sign divorce papers. Trouble is, is anyone really sure they are doing the right thing? As the night goes on, it becomes clear that all is not what it once seemed. Are we watching two couples, or just one couple on two pivotal nights in their life together? Two nights, separated by fifteen years, as Jack and Catherine look back to the eve of their wedding, desperately trying to rediscover the memory of what brought them together.

Book, Music & Lyrics by Laurence Mark Wythe; Designed by Philip Witcomb; Musical Director, Matt Brind & Lighting Designed by David Holmes.

Together they have assembled an amazing cast with Alistair Robins (direct from Richard II at the Old Vic); Annette McLaughlin (Velma Kelly in Chicago, Anything Goes, Into the Woods); Stephen Ashfield (Boy George in Taboo, Fame) and Emma Williams (Bleak House, The Parole Officer, Bat Boy, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

Get in touch with the New End Theatre for tickets here or on 0870 033 2733

12 July 2006 Local London - Martina Smit

Don't wait till Tomorrow Morning to see this

It is not often that you truly care about the characters of a musical. But in Tomorrow Morning, a story of two couples at the start and end of their marriages, you do.

Laurence Mark Wythe's new musical follows 20-somethings Kat and John on the eve of their wedding day, while slightly older Catherine and Jack are about to sign their divorce papers.

Set in the intimate New End Theatre in Hampstead, north London, the first half is filled with light-hearted laughs. And without being overly sentimental, the second act leaves you slightly choked up.

At first the pixie-faced Kat (Emma Williams) and laid-back John (Stephen Ashfield) seem entirely different from the business-like Catherine (Annette McLaughlin) and sensitive Jack (Alistair Robins). But it soon becomes apparent that they are the same couple, only a decade apart.

The little foxes that destroyed the vineyard were there right from the start. His "precious porn" became affair with the 23-year-old office assistant; her cravings for Snickers and Ben & Jerry's ice-cream at midnight became an insatiable appetite for buying things she doesn't need especially if the label reads "Armani".

However serious the subject matter, it is conveyed with hilarious gusto in the song The Secret Tango. The eternal question, John sings, is: "Where do you hide the porn?"

In their own way, each seeks in the other a cure for their fears. Could he replace the father that left her as a girl? Could she free him from his fruitless quest to matter even though he never got to write that novel?

Under Nick Winston's direction, the four performers - all West End stalwarts - achieve superb ensemble on the tiny stage. Their voices work well together, with Williams' enchanting soprano soaring above them all.

Every inch of Philip Witcomb's Ikea look-alike set is used to the full. The lively performance of back-stage musicians has you humming along all the way home.

Tomorrow Morning might be small and new, but the heart of this musical is much bigger than most in the commercial West End.

14 July 2006 The Stage - Paul Vale

Laurence Mark Wythe’s new musical deals with two couples whose lives are about to change forever. One couple, John and Catherine are about to sign a decree absolute while Kat and Jack are about to tie the knot. This relatively simple premise, imaginatively staged and presented provides a perfect setting for a selection of Wythe’s searing ballads and snappy, insightful comedy numbers.

Nick Winston’s direction on an intimate stage is seemless and the minimal choreography works perfectly on Philip Witcomb’s wonderful split set design. The performances are excellent throughout, with Stephen Ashfield and Annette McLaughlin bristling with remorse and bitterness, while in flashback The Time is Coming makes for an hysterical musical look at sex during marriage.

Alistair Robins and Emma Williams, nervous and uncertain, wrestle with the concept of a future together with Robins asking Where Do I Hide the Porn? Williams, in particular connects to the piece and her ballad, When I’m a Bride, is sure to bring a tear to the eye.

If there is a weakness to the storyline it might be the final conceit as the identity of the two couples is revealed but this is simply nit-picking at what is a remarkably successful collaboration of all-round talent.

Taking a step back there is something a little unsettling about two couples who appear to have no circle of friends or family to offer support the night before two very momentous occasions creating a rather soulless, perhaps even sterile environment for the narrative to develop.

14 July 2006 Whats On Stage - Caroline Ansdell

Two couples face a landmark day in their relationships Tomorrow Morning, in the new musical by Laurence Mark Wythe. While the 20 somethings (Emma Williams and Stephen Ashfield) are preparing for their wedding day, a couple ten years older (Annette McLaughlin and Alistair Robins) are about to divorce.

Wythe’s score is enjoyable, with some hummable tunes and a very contemporary musical theatre feel, with strong influences of Stephen Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown – in fact, at times a little too strong, as there are several “where have I heard this before?” moments.

But some sense of familiarity can be a good thing – particularly in the commercial West End, where this show could well be headed. The overall feel of the music is fresh and upbeat, with enough variation in style to be interesting (tangos, ballads, comedy), though perhaps unchallenging.

The book, also by Wythe, is witty and poignant, with Act One full of light-heartedness and promise, and Act Two a bit of a tear-jerker. Wythe manages to stay just the right side of sentimentality, with all the characters wondering throughout the musical whether they are doing the right thing, and all coming to a satisfying conclusion.

All four cast members are West End stalwarts and the quality of their performances is very high – they have fantastic voices and ensure the audience really cares what becomes of their characters - under the directorship of Nick Winston, who manages to manoeuvre the quartet comfortably around the tiny stage in Philip Witcomb’s effective set, well lit by David Holmes.

With some tightening up of both the book and score, Tomorrow Morning could see itself added to the ever-growing list of new West End musicals popping up this year.