A musical that is literally taking the p*ss
Image: Joel Horwood as Bobby and Petronella Van Tienan as Hope in Urinetown, Canberra 2022. Image: Jane Duong
Heart Strings Theatre Co in association with Hayes Theatre Co is mounting a lively new production of the cheeky and hilarious hit show, Urinetown.
It probably won’t surprise you, given the title, but Urinetown is an irreverent satire that parodies the popular musical genre (think Book of Mormon). However, like all good satires, it offers insightful commentary on pernicious social issues and the unchanging nature of human kind.
Writers Mark Hollman (music and lyrics) and Greg Kotis (book and lyrics) initially had trouble finding anyone willing to produce the show two decades ago, but it finally debuted in September, 2001 and has gone on to become a fringe classic.
The plot, which has subtle overtones of the 1974 political thriller, Chinatown, is set in a fictional American big-city styled neighbourhood. Due to severe water restrictions brought on by a 20-year drought, the authorities have introduced a total ban on the use of private toilets. Everyone must use public facilities and pay for the privilege. All such facilities are controlled by the mega-corporation, Urine Good Company (expect lots of these puns) headed by the unscrupulous, Caldwell B. Cladwell (played by Max Gambale). There’s an ill-fated love story, rebellion, intrigue, evil-doings and lots of pee.
“I would say that the vibe of it is ridiculously silly,” says Petronella Van Tienan who plays Hope, Cladwell’s daughter. “It’s a satirical musical take-off of a whole lot of things including capitalism […] and my character is involved in a typical Romeo and Juliet story where she meets this boy [Bobby, played by Joel Horwood] from the poor world and they fall in love.”
Hope lives up to her name in that she brings optimism to what seems a doomed romance and indeed, a doomed world. Their relationship is one of a few plot lines.
“Around it you have Cladwell, who is Hope’s dad – he’s kind of a political leader, like a Donald Trump sort of figure. So he’s the one controlling the strings of the society, and what happens to him is another major plot line,” says Tienan.
Officer Lockstock is a character in the story who occasionally break the fourth wall to act as narrator. Lockstock is accompanied by a street urchin named Little Sally. They are played in this production by mother and daughter team, Karen Vickery and Natasha Vickery respectively.
Penelope Pennywise (played by Deanna Farnell) is another main character. She is an overseer at one of the public bathrooms and is Bobby’s immediate boss.
The music is a mixed bag of genres which reference (without imitating) a variety of well-known show tunes.
“You’ve got ‘Run Freedom Run’ which is more of gospel informed ensemble piece. And then you have ‘Follow Your Heart’ which is Bobby and Hope’s duet, and that is kind of a lyrical, sweeping orchestrations sort of West Side Story kind of vibe. And then you have the act one finale which is sort of a more musical opera – like Les Mis kind of feel,” explains Tienan.
The set is gritty and industrial and the characters speak with pronounced New York style accents. The show will be very different in terms of design and choreography to the one they finished performing in Canberra.
Audiences can rest assured, there will be no real bodily fluids of any kind used in this production.
