4th Wall Theatre's "Urinetown the Musical" is an absolutely brilliant piece of theatre.
4th Wall Theatre's "Urinetown the Musical" is an absolutely brilliant piece of theatre.
Review: Ilona Hanne reviews 4th Wall Theatre’s production of Urinetown the Musical
OPINION
4th Wall Theatre’s latest offering, Urinetown the Musical invites the audience to step into a world where water is so scarce private toilets are banned, and the very act of peeing is not only strictly regulated – but expensive too.
It’s a premise truly weird and wild but it’s presented in such a witty way you might just laugh until you ... well, you know.
Not only is Urinetown the Musical weird, wild and witty, but, thanks to the brilliant vision of director Ryan Jacobs it’s also an absolutely wonderful show.
Jacobs has made some excellent casting decisions in this show, and every cast member shines throughout. There’s not a dull moment or a missed beat throughout from the very first moment of the show (which begins earlier than you might think, as some of the characters make themselves at home on the stage before the proverbial curtain is up) to the very last, and very deserved, applause of the night.
Jordi Rea and Jess Tozer bring brilliant energy and talent to the stage in 4th Wall Theatre's production of Urinetown the Musical.
The set design is at the usual top level audiences know to expect from the creative team at 4th Wall, and the back screen is used brilliantly. Lighting and sound are also at the usual high standard set by 4th Wall while the wardrobe and makeup department have clearly understood the brief they were given. Every character’s look is perfectly put together.
Any musical relies heavily on the cast being triple threats, actors, singers and dancers, and in this show, every actor on stage shows exactly why they deserve that triple-threat title.
Choreographer Helena McHugh and assistant Drew Noble pull out all the stops in every musical number on stage, with some wonderful group dance scenes paying homage to a range of musical styles and genres. Their vision blends well with the work of vocal director Cameron McHugh and music director Phillip Malcolm who ensures every single song performed on stage - be it solos, duets or ensemble numbers - are all an absolute delight. There are some truly great technical musical moments in the show, as it swings from Gospel or Elvis styles through to Broadway ballads. Every cast member on stage gets it right every time.
For theatre nerds, this show is Brechtian theatre at its very best. It’s epic theatre that encourages the audience to see beyond the humour and silliness and to think about the issues being presented to them on stage.
If you aren’t a theatre nerd, or musicals aren’t your thing – then this show is for you too. One of the best parts of Urinetown the Musical is that it doesn’t just mock the themes of power, capitalism, populism and the like, but it also mocks musicals themselves.
Adrian Whelan and Charlotte Williamson would steal the show if they weren't matched by an equally talented fellow cast.
This mocking is mainly led by Officer Lockstock (Adrian Whelan), who narrates the show, frequently breaking the 4th Wall in doing so, and his co-narrator Little Sally (Charlotte Williamson) who joins him in those 4th Wall breaks with some perfectly delivered pokes at the musical genre.
“When a little girl has been given as many lines as I have, there’s still hope for dreams,” she points out at one stage, having earlier on questioned why the musical chooses paying to pee as the big issue from a drought crisis. Why not hydraulics?”
Whelan and Williamson truly stand out in this show, both understand their brief clearly and while much of their time on stage comes with a nudge and a wink towards the audience, they are just as strong when their focus is on the action on stage. They are both perfectly cast in their roles and could be accused of stealing the show on several occasions.
The only reason they don’t fully steal the show is perhaps because the rest of the cast is equally talented. There’s not enough room to list every single actor who deserves a mention, but it would be remiss not to talk about Charlie Betts who, as Hot Blades Harry, makes his character brilliantly unpredictable and almost sadistic at times on stage. Another actor worthy of a name check is Melissa Peters as Little Becky Two Shoes who demands attention every time she sets foot on stage.
Hamish Gunson is great fun to watch throughout the show.
As the iron-fisted, greedy corporate baddy, Caldwell B. Cladwell, Hamish Gunson is an absolute star. His rendition of Don’t be the Bunny is memorable for all the right reasons. Mike Bugbee plays Senator Fipp, the corrupt senator who is beginning to regret his connections with Cladwell, and brings a real depth to the role.
As Penelope Pennywise, Laura-Lee Schutte absolutely shines on stage. Her performance of It’s a Privilege to Pee is spine-chillingly beautiful while in later scenes she brings some great physical and expressive comedy to the stage in her interactions with Cladwell.
Jordi Rea plays Bobby Strong, the assistant custodian at the poorest and yuckiest public toilet in town, who falls into leading a resistance movement after meeting the ridiculously optimistic heiress Hope Cladwell, played with air-headed perfection by Jess Tozer.
Rea and Tozer are both fantastic actors, singers and dancers, and they bring everything they have to this show. They lean into the silliness of the plot and their lines, while still making their characters strangely believable. Some of Tozer’s best moments come when she is gagged and bound on a chair - a lesser actor might find that limiting, yet Tozer’s fantastic physicality and expressive acting ensures she keeps the audience’s attention. Rea’s “trip” to Urinetown itself is also some great physical acting as he fully leans into the deliberate weirdness of the show and stage set.
Overall, thanks to great casting, thoughtful direction, impressive choreography and music and a brilliant script, this show is everything that theatre should be - bravo 4th Wall team for once again living up to your tagline, “Theatre Beyond Expectation”, and in this case, maybe with an addendum – “Theatre beyond bladder control”.
Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island. She has worked for NZME since 2011.
