Urinetown, Apollo Theatre

Don’t be scared by the title: this innovative musical is at once hilarious and thought-provoking. It won over audiences at St James theatre, and now is coming to the West End.
It has taken over ten years for this triple Tony Award winner to be brought to London from Broadway, but no one is quite sure why – unless of course you consider the off-putting name...
Written by Marc Hollmann and Greg Kotis, ‘Urinetown’ is a brilliant pastiche of the musical form that tells the story of a futuristic city beset by drought – and the uprising against the privatisation of public urinals in a society where you have to ‘pay to pee’. Kotis was inspired to write the show after encountering a pay-per-use loo in Europe -- and any Londoner who's ever been caught short in a station will certainly find the show's themes familiar. The subject-matter is brought out of the gutters with a sharply satirical edge, a rousing score and the prerequisite musical love story.
Yet, as its title makes clear, Urinetown is not your average musical. Director Jamie Lloyd, fresh off the back of a number of West End successes, explains that he is “trying to get that knife-edge between the comedy and the dark heart”. And judging by its tremendous reviews, Lloyd has achieved his goal. So if you think you can stomach the subject matter, this musical looks well worth a watch.