It’s always a thrill to go and check out the latest crop of Whitireia & Weltec Musical Theatre stars coming out of Te Auaha. The director/choreographer/musical director combination of Leigh Evans and Kate Marshall-Crowe is always a sure-fire winner and this production is no exception. 

Urinetown is a satirical musical that takes place in a dystopian future where a severe water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. All restroom activities are controlled by a greedy corporation called Urine Good Company (UGC), which charges people to use public toilets. Those who can’t afford the fee and are caught relieving themselves in public are sent to a mysterious and terrifying place called Urinetown. No-one who is sent there ever returns!

The story follows Bobby Strong (Mackenzie Htay), who works at the dirtiest, cheapest urinal in town, run by the hard-nosed Miss Pennywise (Corrie Milne). Bobby becomes a revolutionary leader after his father is sent to Urinetown. Inspired by his love for Hope Cladwell (Maddi Barnes), the daughter of UGC’s corrupt CEO, Cladwell B. Cladwell (Monēt Faifai-Collins), Bobby rallies the poor citizens to rise up against the oppressive system.

It was co-creator Greg Kotis’s experience of travelling through Europe, where he encountered pay-per-use toilets, that sparked the concept of a dystopian world where water is scarce and, as Miss Pennywise declares, “It’s a privilege to pee.”

The stage floor is a cracked and dried water table, a clever and effective decision from set designer Scott Maxim, surrounded by dingy brown, rusted walls lined in rusting pipes. The lighting by Michael Trigg is extremely varied, always enhancing the story and often beautiful, as in the moment when the ceiling of the theatre turns blue and the ensemble sings ‘Look To The Sky’, symbolising the beginning of the revolution.

The steady stream of song and dance numbers seem to be an homage to almost every musical you can imagine. One could take along a bingo card and see how many you can spot: Les Mis (of course), Guys and Dolls, Annie, Chicago, Footloose, West Side Story… For the most part it is very silly, and the energy and humour among the cast is infectious. In the highly stylised ‘Mr Cladwell’ I can hardly wipe the smile off my face as the secretaries start tap-dancing, singing a chorus of “doodle-doodle-doo.”

Across the board the performances are strong. Htay’s quintessential hero Bobby has strength and agility in his vocals and gives us Aaron Tveit in Moulin Rouge vibes. Milne commands the stage vocally and dramatically in every scene she is in. Beautiful singing and some great comedic moments from Barnes in the thankless role of the Pollyanna-esque love interest, Hope. There is a charming scene when Bobby and Hope snuggle up to hear each other’s heartbeats.

Faifai-Collins has great presence and smooth seductive vocals, managing to be both sinister and hilarious. His ‘Don’t Be the Bunny’ is the weirdest song in the show, but weird in the best possible way, and he leans into it whole-heartedly. I have special affection for Maya Gatling as the cynical, world-weary narrator Officer Lockstock, doing double duty of policing the streets for free pee-ers and keeping the audience on side. Gatling’s delivery is droll and expertly timed.

As much as Urinetown is delightful in its fluffiness, it is also surprisingly dark. As Officer Lockstock says, “Dreams only come true in happy musicals.” The issues of water (its use and who controls it) and a gaping societal divide between rich and poor are ones uncomfortably familiar to us in 2024. Urinetown plants the seeds of deeply complex themes and then glosses over them with another toe-tapping song and dance number in 4-part harmony.

Certainly “audacious and exhilarating” as promised, and without a doubt, lots of fun. A great night of entertainment in every way.

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