PEEING FOR FREE

In 2004, Melbourne Theatre Company presented a production of a Tony-award winning musical, Urinetown. It’s one of the those titles that matches the content perfectly but has the effect of turning at least some of the potential audience away. Kate Herbet’s review at the time captures the essence of the show:

“Simon Phillips directs a cheeky, irreverent and funny production of the bladder-teasing Broadway musical hit, Urinetown.

 The ensemble is skilful and adorable, the band exceptional under the musical direction of Ian McDonald and the whole is a cute parody of Broadway musicals.

 During a drought, the water table is so low it is illegal to flush toilets.Caldwell B. Cladwell, (Gerry Connolly) a ruthless businessman, makes millions by compelling people to pay to use public conveniences on pain of exile.

After his father's exile to the grim, unknown Urinetown, heroic young Bobby Strong, (Kane Alexander) leads the rebellion to pee without paying. The obligatory musical romance is between Bobby and Hope, (Lisa McCune) the painfully optimistic daughter of villainous Cladwell.

 Urinetown is a light-hearted, satirical jibe at government corruption and corporate greed. Nothing is taken too seriously. The vulgar title is meant to offend but the show is surprisingly inoffensive. This explains its huge Broadway success. Urinetown is stuffed full of blatant references to musical styles.

The opening number, It's a Privilege to Pee,  is pure Kurt Weil. The rebellion of the townspeople (should that be 'pee-ple'?) is a rip-off of Les Mis. There are echoes of West Side Story, Yiddish Klezmer music and a rousing gospel number, Run Freedom Run. The show constantly reminds us we are watching a musical...

MTC production of Urinetown, 2004

This diverting production is beautifully directed and exuberantly performed.”

Why am I telling you this? Because a Perth production company has just presented an equally enjoyable production of this quirky musical. How lucky am I, to have seen two great musicals (Tivoli Lovelies being the other) in one week and I didn’t have to fly to the musical capital of Australia, Melbourne, to see them.

The Western Sky Projects production was presented in the Liberty Theatre, an old cinema built in 1954. It’s just an empty hull at the moment but with some aspects of the design still in play such as pink metal handrails. The set and costumes were all rather basic but the performances were engaging and some of them, such as Nick Maclaine playing Officer Lockstock, were stand outs. The director, Andrew Baker, used the performers and the space effectively adding witty and clever original touches to a show that has  satire at its heart. From talking to friends who know the company, many of the cast are folk who, if they lived in Melbourne or New York, would probably be full time performers, but they’ve opted to live in Perth and that means having another job to pay the rent. I’m grateful they’ve made that choice if it means I get to see more great productions such as this in the future.



Barry, Susan, Fiona & me at the Liberty
Urinetown at the Liberty, 2025


https://www.broadwayworld.com/perth/article/Review-URINETOWN-at-Liberty-Theatre-20251113

https://xpressmag.com.au/review-urinetown-at-liberty-theatre/

 


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