Unknown to me before this performance, the musicalâs vulgar name immediately gained my intrigue as I was unable to guess at its contents. I entered the Riley Smith Theatre sceptical about what I would witness, but I can now confidently say the show blessed me with multiple hours of obscene humour to revel in.
The dystopian musical is set during a water shortage, which causes the privatisation of public bathrooms by the Urine Good Company. The cost of using these facilities is consistently increased, and those unable to pay the fare face banishment to Urinetown, which is later revealed to be a euphemism for death. As a political satire, the plot purposefully centres on the poorest part of town and its public amenities to explore class division, greed, human morality, and revolution. Narrated by the comedically crude Officer Lockstock (played by Jonah OâSullivan), we follow the townspeopleâs quest to pee for free under the leadership of Bobby Strong (played by Ash Mallen), alongside the heartless scheming of Urine Good Companyâs president, Mr Cladwell (played by Dan Lodge). Including illicit romance, wacky ensemble numbers, and plenty of piss-takes (one being a literal piss-take as Old Man Strong fails to hold his bladder), this performance left me delightfully amused.
In an interview with Erin Mclone, Poppy Glaze â the president of LUU Musical Theatre society and the actress for Officer Barrel â reflected on why this musical was chosen: âitâs very funny but itâs also very on-the-nose [âŠ] itâs taking the mick out of musicals and obviously everyone here are musical fanaticsâ. The musicalâs reliance on comedically referencing other shows, which Poppy highlights, was a feature I enjoyed watching. As an amateur theatre enthusiast, Iâm sure I missed a few nods to other musicals. However, in my opinion, the most obvious and well-executed parody was that of Les MisĂ©rables and its scenes of rebellion at the barricades during âDo You Hear the People Sing?â. Adding a silhouette of someone peeing onto the red flag Little Sally (Ava Kingâs role) waves to encourage fellow rebels, the musicalâs satirical trivialisation of social commentary had never been clearer.
Occasionally, the casting of comedic musicals pedestals witty delivery over vocal ability when casting their characters. However, this cast repeatedly reminded the audience of their excellent vocal and acting capabilities, creating an amazingly well-rounded performance. From Isla Plantâs strong vocals as Pennywise in âItâs a Privilege to Peeâ, Edie Gray and Ash Mallenâs harmonious duets, including âFollow Your Heartâ, and the ensembleâs consistent execution of group songs, the castâs capacity to be both comedic relief and proficient musicians was continually emphasised.
In addition to executing the scripted comedy, individual interpretations of scenes and characters added to the slapstick atmosphere necessary for this musicalâs success, which was most notably evidenced during Bobby Strongâs death. This was portrayed by flinging a life-sized doll from the stageâs higher tier, having Bobby Strong then run down steps to meet the doll, throw it into the wings once it landed, and finally death-drop where the doll had previously landed. The deliberate playing on of production limitations (throwing someone from a high platform is, believe it or not, not feasible without causing injury) exhibited the castâs willingness to be the butt-of-the-joke.Â
I cannot claim this production as a theatrical triumph without acknowledging the roles of those who did not appear on stage. Directing teams, backstage hands, and instrumental accompaniments are vital to all stage performances, and this is no exception. From the costuming, which merged work uniform with bold pops of colour to facetiously portray supposedly serious characters, to instrumental talent immediately displayed from the overture onwards, it is clear that the off-stage team of Urinetown reliably contributed to such an outstanding performance.
 Fun, frenzied, farcical: this was undoubtedly a satirical success!
Editor: Grace Lees