#publisher Daily Express Theatre RSS Feed Daily Express Search Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. sunday_express_logo ____________________ (BUTTON) * Find us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Check us on Google+ * Subscribe to our rss feed Daily Horoscope Our Apps Top 10 Our Paper Paper Archive Weather 4° London * HOME * News * Showbiz & TV * Sport * Comment * Finance * Travel * Entertainment * Life & Style * Films * Gaming * Theatre * Music * Books * Puzzles * Home * Entertainment * Theatre * Urinetown review: Satire about paying to pee isn't worth spending a penny for Urinetown review: Satire about paying to pee isn't worth spending a penny for 3 / 5 stars Urinetown A TERRIFIC cast and lively numbers can't save this puerile, silly tale of a dystopian world in which citizens must pay a tinkle tariff By Simon Edge PUBLISHED: 12:47, Thu, Oct 9, 2014 Matthew Seadon-Young is Bobby in Urinetown at the Apollo Theatre Matthew Seadon-Young plays Bobby, the hero of Urinetown [JOHAN PERSSON] If I say I found this Tony-winning musical disappointingly puerile, I'll be in danger of sounding prudish. But it's not the subject matter or even the charmless title I have a problem with: the disposal of bodily waste is an essential part of human civilisation and it's odd we’ve become so squeamish about discussing it. No, my objection is the flimsiness of a show that seems to expect us to love it for its taboo-busting daring, rather than what they've done with the idea. We're in a dystopian urban future where catastrophic drought has led to the privatisation of calls of nature. This ecological journey is never quite explained, but the upshot is you have to pay to spend a penny, and those pennies have made public convenience tycoon Caldwell B Cladwell filthy rich. Urinetown is running at the Apollo Theatre, London Urinetown is a puerile new satire at the Apollo Theatre, London [JOHAN PERSSON] He actually seems to rule the whole place and his supremacy is only challenged when his beautiful daughter Hope falls for strapping idealist Bobby Strong, the leader of a rebel movement that's desperate to relieve itself for free. As a satire on the privatisation of public utilities this is a fair conceit for a sketch, but it struggles to sustain a whole show. I found myself wondering what size police force you'd need to stop people tinkling at will, and how Cladwell came to control it. It’s hard to care about characters if you don’t believe in their world. Creators Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis would doubtless say I'm taking it too seriously, that they're just having a bit of fun and it's only a musical. In fact they do say that over and over again, by means of a narrator chatting directly to the audience and constantly reminding us it's make-believe. That device may seem clever in a panto or a fringe revue but for a production of this scale (on Soutra Gilmour’s gloriously Gothic sewer-pipe set) it’s an increasing irritant. Related articles * Ballyturk review: Cillian Murphy stars in enthralling blend of bizarre delights * VIDEO: Don't cry for us: Evita is back in the West End! * The Wolf From The Door review: Aristos meet ASBOS at the Royal Court * Speed the Plow: Lindsay Lohan is not a car crash on stage The cast are terrific. Simon Paisley Day and Jenna Russell are underused as evil Caldwell and toilet-keeper Miss Pennywise. Matthew Seadon-Young as Bobby justly brings the house down with the one genuinely uplifting number, the cod-gospel Run Freedom Run. Jonathan Slinger works hard as the policeman/narrator, even if he has largely given up on his Gotham accent by the finale, and the rest of the company have a lot of fun with the lively choreography. But the numbers themselves, cocking a vague snook at Les Misérables, aren't as witty or as memorable as the self-conscious smartness of it all seems to promise, and ultimately it's as laboured as the toilet puns that this review has done its best to avoid. A gory, unsatisfying resolution sums up the show's aimlessness. It's taken 15 years for it to reach London, so why does it feel like it was scribbled in a weekend? For tickets for Urinetown at the Apollo Theatre, London, call 0844 482 9671 or visit urinetown.co.uk Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse: Theatre Review Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse: Theatre Review Performance of the year already: Grey Gardens - Theatre review Dance reviews: Until The Lions and Elizabeth Dance reviews: Until The Lions and Elizabeth Dance reviews: Until The Lions and Elizabeth Theatre review: Goodnight Mister Tom at the Duke Of York Theatre Theatre review: Goodnight Mister Tom at the Duke Of York Theatre Theatre review: Goodnight Mister Tom at the Duke Of York Theatre Theatre review: Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse Theatre review: Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse Theatre review: Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse Opera Review Tosca Royal Opera House Opera Review Tosca Royal Opera House Opera Review: Tosca at the Royal Opera House Theatre review: Guys And Dolls at the Savoy Theatre review: Guys And Dolls at the Savoy Theatre review: Guys And Dolls at the Savoy Classical review: Viennese Christmas at the London Concertante Cadogan Hall Classical review: Viennese Christmas at the London Concertante Cadogan Hall Classical review: Viennese Christmas at the London Concertante Cadogan Hall Schubert The Complete Songs opera review Schubert The Complete Songs opera review Schubert: The Complete Songs- Opera review Theatre review Les Liaisons Dangereuses Donmar Warehouse cheap tickets seats Theatre review Les Liaisons Dangereuses Donmar Warehouse cheap tickets seats Theatre review: Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar Warehouse theatre review Guys and Dolls Savoy Theatre London cheap tickets showings theatre review Guys and Dolls Savoy Theatre London cheap tickets showings Theatre review: Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre dramatic triumphant year opera cuts loomed 2015 dramatic triumphant year opera cuts loomed 2015 A dramatic and triumphant year for opera as cuts loomed in 2015 theatre 2015 reviews farinelli oppenheimer play theatre 2015 reviews farinelli oppenheimer play Stars of the theatre in 2015: New plays that dazzled with top reviews west end aladdin groundhog day harry potter pixie lott diana ross musical west end aladdin groundhog day harry potter pixie lott diana ross musical 2016 Theatre review: The year of the blockbuster Les Liaisons Dangereuses review Showboat Les Liaisons Dangereuses review Showboat Theatre review: An 'intricate round of sex, seduction, revenge and betrayal' Nutcracker On Ice Moscow review Nutcracker On Ice Moscow review Frozen nights behind the joy of Nutcracker On Ice Top skater to quit The Nutcracker on Ice at the Royal Albert Hall Top skater to quit The Nutcracker on Ice at the Royal Albert Hall Top skater to quit The Nutcracker on Ice at the Royal Albert Hall Theatre review A Christmas Carol Wonder.land Theatre review A Christmas Carol Wonder.land Theatre reviews: A Christmas Carol and Wonder.land Opera review Autumn Trilogy Puccini La Boheme Ravenna Festival Opera review Autumn Trilogy Puccini La Boheme Ravenna Festival Opera review: Puccini’s La Boheme at the Ravenna Festival Theatre Christmas shows The Snowman Cinderella The Little Match Girl The Lorax Theatre Christmas shows The Snowman Cinderella The Little Match Girl The Lorax From The Snowman to Cinderella: Our pick of Christmas shows Theatre review A Christmas Carol Noel Coward Theatre Theatre review A Christmas Carol Noel Coward Theatre Theatre review: A Christmas Carol at the Noël Coward Theatre Theatre review Oliver Around The World In Eighty Days and Hapgood Theatre review Oliver Around The World In Eighty Days and Hapgood Theatre reviews: Oliver! Around The World In Eighty Days and Hapgood Opera reviews Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana Leoncavallo Pagliacci Royal opera House Opera reviews Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana Leoncavallo Pagliacci Royal opera House Opera reviews: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House [1] [seg?add=1781214&t=2] SEARCH ____________________ (BUTTON) CONNECT WITH US * Find us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Check us on Google+ * Subscribe to our rss feed * Check our YouTube channel TODAY'S PAPER todays-paper Sunday, 17th January 2016 See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. News * UK * World * Politics * Royal * History * Science * Weird * Nature * Obituaries * Sunday * Scotland * Weather UK Politics * Political Parties * Politicians * Constituencies Sport * Football * Transfer news * Cricket * Tennis * Rugby Union * F1 * Golf * Boxing * Racing * Other Pics * Galleries Vids * Videos Comment * Columnists * Express Comment * Beachcomber Finance * Personal Finance * City & Business * Retirement * The Crusader Travel * Activity Holidays * Beach Holidays * Cruise * Short & City breaks * Travel News Entertainment * Films * Gaming * Theatre * Music * Books * Puzzles Puzzles * Horoscope * Offers * Competitions * Bingo * Jackpot Millions Life & Style * Health * Diets * Life * Garden * Food * Style * Tech * Property * Saturday * Cars * Win * S Mag * Top 10 Facts EXPRESS.CO.UK * Sitemap * Site Archive * Contact Us * Advertising * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Terms & Conditions * Design by Netro42 * Syndication and Licensing * Clarifications and Corrections * Daily Star * OK! Magazine * new! Magazine * Star Magazine * Health Lottery Northern and Shell Copyright ©2016 Northern and Shell Media Publications. "Daily Express" is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.