“Urinetown”: A Brilliantly Entertaining Mess

Caitlin Wolfheimer reviews LUU Musical Theatre Society’s Urinetown.

The LUU Musical Theatre society’s production of Urinetown in the Riley Smith theatre ended its run on Saturday evening. The satirical comedy musical is set in a dystopian world where a water shortage leads the ‘Urine Good Company’ to privatise public restrooms and force the population to pay for its most basic needs. A simple boy, Bobby, decides to follow his heart and lead a revolution to gain back the freedom to pee.

A witty intro from Officer Lockstock (played by Jonah O’Sullivan) and Little Sally (played by Ava King) immediately established the show’s sarcastic tone. This brings me to the first strength of the production. Each character was brilliantly cast, from the leading roles to the ensemble, all showing great comedic skills. Dan Lodge, for example, delivered a commanding performance of Cladwell, seeming to impersonate Boris Johnson with his hilarious mannerisms. Edie Grey managed to capture Hope Cladwell’s self-obsessed personality with impressive aptitude, charming the audience with her smiles and flamboyance. The actors showed off impressive singing skills as well, for example when Isla Plant (playing Pennywise) hit impressively high notes in “It’s a Privilege to Pee” and Ash Mallen (playing Bobby Strong) showcased his stunning belt in “Look at the Sky”.

Sadly, though, the vocal mixing prevented the full potential of each actor from being heard, often making it very hard to understand what they were saying. The dance choreography was simple but effective on such a small stage, although it could have benefited from being a bit more in sync. However, the production relied less on spectacle than character, allowing the best attribute, the cast’s strong acting, to come through.

“a gritty, dystopian atmosphere suitable for a revolution”

The first set evoked a gritty, dystopian atmosphere suitable for a revolution, while the second set transported us to the polar opposite: the sterile, modern coldness of Cladwell’s office. The lighting effectively distinguished these different moods, utilizing murky green light for the filthy public amenity and stark blue light for the UGC headquarters. All transitions between the sets worked smoothly as well, even playing into the comedic aspect, for example when a puppet representing Bobby is thrown off the roof, only for Ash to then fling the prop into the wings and melodramatically throw himself to the floor. Besides the sets themselves, the costumes also perfectly distinguished the personalities of each character: the fancy skirts and suits of the UGC members contrasting the grungy outfits of the ‘revolutionaries’.

I entered the theatre unaware that Urinetown is a meta-musical that intentionally mimics the scores from other famous shows. However, I struggled to enjoy this style, as I found it prevented the show from establishing a distinct identity, which I prefer in a musical. Ultimately, my main problem with the production was with the message, or lack thereof. Firstly, it was criticising capitalism through the ridiculing of Cladwell and his company. At one point, Hope very sarcastically says: “Gosh, I never realised large, monopolising corporations could be such a force of good in the world”. However, the revolution against the UGC doesn’t succeed, so the musical also criticises the consequences of not having order in society. The first act presents a standard conflict and resolution, while act two complicates the picture, forcing the audience to reconsider whether the ‘villains’ were actually justified.

The musical also comments on resources and how they are finite, with its final line “Hail Malthus”. This is a reference to English economist and cleric Thomas Robert Malthus, who talked about the negative effects of population growth and the unsustainability of societal growth. Essentially, the show is a thematic mess, trying to tackle everything, but as a result getting nothing. Indeed, I would describe it as pure chaos, which could only be saved by its humorous script. While some may enjoy a lack of resolution, I found I left the production feeling more convoluted than profound.

All this to say, the production’s flaws lay mainly in the script and not the actual performance. The plot may have been confusing, but the cast’s infectious performance and energy still made for an entertaining evening.

Words by Catilin Wolfheimer