My main interest in seeing the Guild Musical Theatre Group (GMTG)’s production of Urinetown was because of the name. Despite being a musical theatre fan, I hadn’t heard of the production and was curious why the society had selected this show. As admitted by Little Sally (Lucy Sherman), the title is ‘f**king awful’, but the production most certainly was not. Not a single note was missed, and the entire cast was well selected, performing to an incredibly high standard.

The cast and crew were very deserving of the ceaseless round of applause they received

In most musicals, particularly ones rooted in comedy, the love song is the most boring part of the show. However, Sam Huxham and Hazelle Te, as Bobby and Hope, transformed ‘Follow Your Heart’ into something truly captivating. While the entire cast had amazing harmonisation, the pair’s voices blended especially seamlessly. Te has an incredible voice and captivated the audience throughout, especially during the finale.  Despite some (very minor) mic issues, I was impressed by the range of talent in the cast and the ensemble’s powerful voices. As Officer Lockstock, Kyle Gabriel commanded the stage and was well complemented by Arthur Jacobs’ performance as Officer Barrel – a perfect comedic duo. Everyone’s unwavering American accents were almost professional. In an attempt to keep this review short, I will not compliment every performance, but I will emphasise that all the cast and crew were very deserving of the ceaseless round of applause they received.

The backstage crew…played an equally important role in my appreciation of the show

As they are literally behind the scenes, backstage crews are often underappreciated, but in this production they played an equally important role in my appreciation of the show. The costumes were simple but effective – I liked the juxtaposition between the politicians’ spotless suits and town members’ messily layered outfits. I also enjoyed the attention to detail throughout – my favourite being the pee-related puns on the town members’ banners as they protested unfair fee raises. The band were positioned at the back of the stage as if they were performing for the company owners – a clever way to allow them to be seen, whilst also poking fun at Mr Cladwell’s excessiveness. The band themselves were jaunty and I forgot at times the backtrack wasn’t recorded.

Hannah Stobart and Lottie Russell did an excellent job with the choreography and it was very well-rehearsed and well-timed. The cast member’s persistent eye contact with the audience was uncomfortable, pressuring the spectators to become perpetrators and forcing self-reflection. I also found their audience interactions, such as Little Sally handing a girl her teddy bear, quite endearing.

Urinetown is the perfect choice for disillusioned university students

Urinetown is the perfect choice for disillusioned university students. It was funny, messy and deeply political, highlighting the issues not only within capitalism but also ego-led activism, the musical leaves you with much to contemplate.

Overall, I commend the society’s choice of production – they certainly know their audience. I absolutely loved every minute of it. If you’re a fan of realistic endings, socially critical musicals and silly, flamboyant acting, GMTG has you covered. I can’t wait to see what they produce next term.

Rating: 4.5/5

If you would like to purchase tickets to see GMTG’s production of Urinetown, you can buy tickets here!

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