Israeli-South African actress, Keren Tahor, joined forces James Cuningham and Helen Iskander of Fresco Theatre, to bring you a beautiful new physical theatre gem. In its run at The National Arts Festival in July, ‘Jutro’ had audiences and critics alike hailing the show as their ‘pick of the festival’.

Workshopped over 8-weeks, 'Jutro', pronounced 'yoo-tro', is the Polish word for 'tomorrow'. As such, the play is about the human capacity for hope in challenging situations. Mina (Tahor) is a Jewish cabaret singer in a rundown Warsaw nightclub. She dreams of a better existence, of fame and a career in America, but the onset of war has made this desire more a fantasy than an ambition. The only person prepared to share her hopes and indulge in her delusions is Janusz (Cuningham), the club's resident barman and, we will later realise, a man deeply in love with Mina.

When the club is struck by a bomb – a violent moment that marks the play's opening and sets up its scenario and tone – Mina and Janusz's lives are transformed into a singular fight for survival rather than a quest for fame and fortune: the pair are trapped underground, with only a small manhole through which Janusz must frequently exit to search for food ... and a way out for Mina.

Within their claustrophobic space the pair begin a dance founded on wistfulness in the face of dire threat.

Mina's chances of being rescued begin to diminish just as Janusz's love for her grows, making their situation increasingly untenable. The stakes are soon raised to breaking point and Janusz must decide if Mina is better off sustaining the fantasy or, at the risk of losing her forever, being brought down to earth.

The musical score was created by Dan Selsick, who came on board the project for the run at the Liberty theatre. With a striking set (designed by Lisa Younger), Jutro provides a theatrical style that has the absurdity of Waiting for Godot and the innocence of Life is Beautiful.