Urinetown the Musical

This is a brainy, quirky musical that is dripping with classy stagecraft in this production.

Two decades after it debuted on Broadway, the title still makes you do a double take, and the musical plays on that with tongue-in-cheek references to the awkward subject matter.

At its core is the absurd premise that a company has a monopoly on toilets – which was originally inspired when the writer had to pay to use a private bathroom in Europe. Thankfully there is only one song which features gold glitter painted toilet seats.

Urinetown largely avoids the hydraulics of a sewer (which is mentioned in a funny moment) and instead the satire focuses on capitalism, the legal system, and politics.

A unique aspect of the production is that many of the actors are from Canberra, where the Heart Strings Theatre, under the leadership of Ylaria Rogers, is based, and it was nice to be able to see their talent on a Sydney stage.

The Canberrans included theatre veteran Karen Vickery as Lockstock, who milked all the moments spoken to the audience, and Questacon Science Theatre troupe leader Max Gambale as the villainous Mr Cladwell.

The leads were also terrific - Joel Horwood as the leader of the revolution, Bobby Strong, and Petronella Van Tienen his star-crossed lover Hope.

The set for the piece was a vandalised dark wasteland that contrasted with some of the bright yellow costumes.  This gave Jasmin Borsovszky a great backdrop to project a very sharp lighting design. A spotlight moment even got a laugh of its own.

Cameron Mitchell’s choreography is always a treat to watch and gags came just from the physicality of the actors.

Musically it was tight as a drum. The five-piece band under Matthew Reid was crisp and a few of the choral numbers were scrumptious. 

There are some nice tunes in there too - the best earworm is “Run Freedom Run”.

But this is not a musical chock full of blockbuster songs – rather it is a rollicking satire which is just as engaging as when it was flushed with success at the 2002 Tony Awards. (Sorry had to get that pun in.)

Curiously it won the Best Book, Original Score and Director gongs but the judges could not stomach giving it Best Musical which went to the inferior (in my opinion) Thoroughly Modern Millie.

You can only go so far with a title like that …

David Spicer

Photographer: Phil Erbacher