What a thrill to have a show grab you by the throat from the
opening moments and not let go until the cast is taking well deserved bows.
This is a spectacular production of a very funny and irreverent musical and I
have to say, it knocked my socks off.
The tone is immediately set with a self-aware and satirical
narration by Officer Lockstock (Chris Wilcox) that tells you this ain’t going
to be your standard musical, my friends. Wilcox gleefully debunks and mocks the
usual expectations of a musical throughout as he directly addresses the
audience. He foreshadows plot points, what to expect in the 2nd act,
and updates us after intermission amongst other mischief. Most of all he tells
us this isn’t one of those happy musicals which is reflected in a subversive
ending.
The opening number Too
Much Exposition by Lockstock and the Company had me chortling away happily.
We quickly learn that this is a world where you have to pay to pee and control
of public urinals is strictly maintained by representatives of Urine Good
Company or UGC. Most notably urinal number 9 is the province of Penelope
Pennywise (Megan Kozak) and if you can’t cough up the pennies you can’t pee.
If there’s such a thing as a show stopping number in only
the third song of the evening then Kozak delivers it with a stunning It’s a Privilege to Pee. With a
powerhouse voice and attitude to burn as the hardened warden this is an early
highlight. The show starts with a bang and quickly had me in its pocket for the
crazy ride.
Of course, with such a repressive regime one needs a budding
young hero. Enter Bobby Strong (Jacob Dibb) who is motivated to act after his
father Old Man Strong (Morgan Palmer) is shipped off to Urinetown for peeing in
public. Dibb plays the earnest hero who is told to follow his heart (warning,
obligatory love interest coming up) which leads to outright rebellion, with a straightforwardness
that grounds the craziness around him. He also sports a fabulous voice with Look at the Sky and Run, Freedom, Run! among others utilising it to good effect. His
duet with Rosabelle Elliott Follow Your
Heart was a highlight and it’s a little unfortunate there was no break in
the action to allow for applause at its conclusion.
The love interest is Hope Cladwell (Elliott) who just happens
to be the daughter of the architect of this draconian social and political
hierarchy, Caldwell B Cladwell (Matthew Hyde). Bobby doesn’t know this at first
though and their relationship goes through several, shall we say, captive
moments. Elliott nicely plays the arc from bubbly innocent that can fax (and
copy) to something far more formidable in the second half before suffering an
unfortunate coda in the finale. Yes, it really isn’t one of those types of
happy ending musicals!
Hyde gets to play the ‘evil’ head of UGC but the character
has a strong rationale for his actions which allows for some texture even when
he’s selling his daughter down the (metaphorical) river. Taryn Ryan gives good
support as the canny street kid Little Sally who acts as a counterpoint to
Lockstock’s observations as a faux second narrator of sorts. The rest of the
cast play either ‘the poor’ of Bobby’s revolution or representatives of the
ruling hierarchy. I liked that the beginning of the second act allowed for the
ensemble to be featured with Jess Phillippi as the pregnant Little Becky Two
Shoes and Daniel Ridolfi, her partner Hot Blades Harry in particular having
strong moments.
Having said that the cast are uniformly excellent from the
Poor’s Josephine Strong (Baylie Carson) to Kate Thomas’ Soupy Sue who has quite
the amusing challenge for one of the occupants of the front row (of which no
more shall be typed); to Lockstock’s sidekick Officer Barrel (Callum
Sandercock) and the smarmy politician Senator Fipp (Harry Prouse). That’s
because while the singing is very good indeed the choreography is simply
outstanding. There is so much kinetic energy in the numbers and it is performed
with such foot stomping ferocity, at times only a metre or so away if you’re in
the first row. The performers were regularly in your face often imploring you
for a coin or scowling as matters turned darker. At one point when Dibb offered
me his hand I wasn’t sure if I was about to be hauled on stage (thankfully
not!). That immediacy and intimacy was compelling.
Above all else this is very, very funny with a subversive
tone that I found wonderfully appealing. The songs are great with many moments
where I wanted to clap along or start bopping away. The orchestra under David
King’s direction was excellent and discreetly tucked away behind the
centrepiece of the grimy public urinals atop which were the UGC offices. Yes,
‘symbolism!’ All elements of performance, vocal quality, musicianship, costuming,
stage, and lighting were top notch. The only slight detraction was a few
technical problems with microphone pickups but, to be honest, I was so
engrossed in this that it hardly mattered.
If this class announced themselves last year with Children of Eden then they just added a
huge punctuation mark with Urinetown.
A must see show with Music by Mark
Hollmann, a Book by Greg Kotis with both writing the lyrics; Directed in fine
style by James Millar, with David King as Musical Director and Bernie Bernard
as Choreographer. It features the 3rd year musical theatre class of
Jacob Dibb, Rosabelle Elliott, Chris Wilcox, Taryn Ryan, Callum Sandercock,
Megan Kozak, Matthew Hyde, Harry Prouse, Heather Manley, Alex Thompson, Jess
Phillippi, Daniel Ridolfi, Matilda Moran, Baylie Carson, Morgan Palmer, Kate
Thomas, Joe Meldrum, Joel Granger and Tayla Jarrett. It runs until Saturday 21
March at The Roundhouse Theatre. Go see it!
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