Handsworth & Hallam Theatre Company’s Urinetown – 3 June 2025, University Drama Studio
Review by Nicola Bourne.
Handsworth & Hallam Theatre Company debuted their production of Greg Kotis’ dark, musical comedy, Urinetown, last night, at the Drama Studio in Sheffield. Premiering on Broadway in 2001, the musical parodies elements of many of the quintessential Broadway musicals, to great comedic effect, and, if you’re a staunch lover of musicals, I suspect you will enjoy these obvious salutes to the classics.
Urinetown’s story takes place in the aftermath of a devastating drought, where the Urine Good Company’s ruthless CEO criminalises the use of private toilets and takes over control of the public ones, supposedly in a bid to conserve water, but very likely stemming from his own greed. Those refusing to pay are sent to the mysterious and dreaded place, which is Urinetown. After twenty years of oppression, Bobby Strong, a toilet attendant, leads a rebellion of the poor. It takes a satirical look at the capitalism, bureaucracy, corruption and politics, recognisable in society today, and shows how socially reckless we can be, especially with the neglect of our environment. It has a light and contemporary feel though, being very tongue-in-cheek and witty in putting across its message.
This adaptation sticks pretty closely to the original version. The director and assistant director, Matthew Walker and Jane Jefferson-Blythe, accomplish a very slick production, hitting all the comedic highlights, and in some cases, I feel, maybe even improving on them. I much preferred Lockstock’s costume, swagger and delivery of lines than those of his counterparts seen in Broadway footage online.
The show itself is pure silliness from start to finish! It doesn’t take itself seriously and exaggerates the various genres and techniques used in other musicals. It always got a laugh from the audience, when Lockstock and Little Sally discussed the plot’s logic, explaining why they needed to do things a certain way, to create the ideal musical. It comically told the audience how a show is structured, which was far funnier than picking up on the absurdity of a line or action for yourself! There were numerous one-liners and visual comedy too, which always made me laugh, though I wouldn’t want to reveal any spoilers! It was all very slapstick, with some obvious toilet humour, but I think that you just need to embrace the madness and silly storyline. If you don’t fight it, you will enjoy the ride!
The ensemble dance routines were full of character and the musical numbers were spot on. I loved the choreography, which included moments of golden age Broadway and even a nod to tap dancing at one point. While not all songs are memorable, there are a few good “earworms” still stuck in my head – particularly Don’t Be The Bunny, Cop Song and I See A River. My favourite, Run Freedom Run! was definitely projecting strong Guys and Dolls vibes, akin to Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat.
The cast – wow! There was so much talent! Each character played their part faultlessly, with believable American accents, and even background characters were always worth watching, if you could tear your eyes away from the main action.
Worth an extra mention, though, I loved the characters of Lockstock and Little Sally, played by Joseph Walker and Katie Granger. They were both so charismatic and funny and both very good actors. Their characters guided us by way of narration and had some of the funniest lines, which they delivered perfectly. His Cop Song number was very entertaining, with great dance moves, and she also had a great singing voice.
Emily Germon played an innocent, slightly ditsy Hope Cladwell perfectly, and her voice was just beautiful. It was slightly operatic, in style, at times, and it reminded me of Glinda from Wicked. I could fully see her on the West End stage with a voice like hers! She showed her full vocal range though, when also hitting the comical deep notes and spoofing the diva singing style of today! Neil Kirkman played the likeable hero, Bobby Strong, well and was also a talented singer. I loved how I could also hear clearly every lyric, each time he sang. The instant, over the top love, between himself and Hope was, in my opinion, a nod to the exaggerated romances of old, in previous musicals.
Caldwell B Cladwell, played by Mark Holmes, was the epitome of a greedy tycoon, even down to the two tone gangster style shoes he wore. I really liked his deep, rich voice, and Penelope Pennywise, played by Sarah Morrell, had some good comedy moments and her voice and stage presence were also great.
The set, while simple, was mimicking the minimalist style of the Broadway stage and it worked well. Sound and lighting were used to great effect, and the slow motion scene was particularly effective. The company presented a professional performance, comparable, in my opinion, to some shows seen on a bigger stage, and the whole crew deserve credit for that! Just don’t expect a traditional happy ending. In the words of Little Sally, “What kind of musical is this?” A different one, for sure!