Urinetown

If your first reaction on hearing about a musical called Urinetown was that that's an awful title, don't worry, the authors were way ahead of you. Its awfulness is the point in this satirical, big issue musical comedy where the central conceit of the show is paying to go to the toilet.

Winner of three Tony Awards, Urinetown is a tale of love, greed, corruption and revolution. The show is set in a town plagued by a 20-year drought, where water has become so scarce that private toilets have become unthinkable. At the mercy of a single dominating corporation who maintains a monopoly on the town's public amenities, the destitute citizens must pay towering taxes and fines to carry out their most private and basic of needs. Out of the mass of the pitiable, a hero rises to lead his fellow citizens against the tyrannical regime.

Urinetown is more than just a tale. It provokes laughter as it explores real social issues. Using the medium of theatre it examines corporate control, corruption, ecological sustainability, population growth and the growing divide between rich and poor. With a sense of humour and critical attitude, Urinetown draws attention to some of the most pressing problems in contemporary society. But is also uses humour to parody those 'do-gooders' who try to make social change happen without fully considering the consequences.

Using techniques developed by theatre legend Bertolt Brecht, Urinetown enables us to step back and view the show with our hearts (emotionally) or our head (intellectually) giving us the choice of two extremes. Audience can enjoy it for a laugh a minute or as a strong critique on social stability that challenges change in human behaviour. Just like the 'Simpsons' you can enjoy it whether you get the references of not.

Drawing from West Side Story, Chicago and Les Misérables among others, the show irreverently pays witty homage to musical theatre traditions and then boldy breaks all these conventions in sending musical theatre into the new millenium.

Awards and nominations

In 2002, the musical won three Tony Awards:

It was nominated for an additional seven Tonys: