Laugh, revolt and pee responsibly as BottledSnail Productions presents the uproarious satire Urinetown: The Musical at the Gasworks Theatre, this March, as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Winner of three Tony Awards, Urinetown: The Musical (Music & Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Book & Lyrics by Greg Kotis) is a wickedly funny and sharply insightful musical satire that skewers everything from corporate greed and municipal politics to populism, bureaucracy, social inequality and even musical theatre itself.
Set in a Gotham-like dystopia, a crippling 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets, forcing citizens to queue for the privilege to pee and pay for access to public amenities controlled by a single malevolent corporation. Amid this struggle, a reluctant hero rises to challenge the system, sparking a riotous revolution that proves both hilarious and unexpectedly heart-felt.
Directed by David Miles, Urinetown: The Musical features a stellar cast and team of creatives, including Mackinnley Bowden as Bobby Strong – the Queensland-born artist has starred as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Off-Broadway at the ATA Theatre) and as Dead Fred/Herbert in Spamalot (Millbrook Playhouse, Pittsburgh).
Bowden is joined by Elise Kurvink as the bright eyed, champagne socialist, Hope Cladwell, Sam Pearce as Caldwell B Cladwell, Allie Sutherland as Penelope Pennywise, Tara Cunneen as Little Sally, Adam Wojcik as Officer Lockstock, Daniel Beratis as Hot Blades Harry, and Lucy Rosenblum as Little Becky Two-Shoes.
The ensemble includes Stella West, Percy Su, Dave Douds, Alex Feng, Matthew Phillips, Prani West, Isaac Lane, Heidi Wolfenden, Declan McGavin, Darin Aqila and Alex Callahan Pirie. The creative team includes Charlotte Black (Musical Director), Lena-Jean Lamshed (Choreographer), Robbie Carmellotti (Set Design) and Clare Hampson (Costume Designer).
“Urinetown is wildly entertaining and gloriously unhinged, but beneath the comedy it’s asking urgent questions about power, equality, and basic dignity – a prescient satire of scarcity and corporate control that lands uncomfortably close to home,” says director David Miles.
Urinetown: The Musical
Gasworks Theatre – Gasworks Creative Precinct, 21 Graham Street, Albert Park
Season: 19 – 28 March 2026
Bookings: www.gasworks.org.au
For more information, visit: www.bottledsnail.com for details.
Image: Urinetown: The Musical – creative by Josh