URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL

★★★★ 1/2 out of 5

Stage 16, Sanctuary Stage

To clear all questions out of the way about the perhaps startling name: Yes, the title does have everything to do with the plot.

And Grindstone Theatre’s imagination of the popular Tony Award-winning musical — which actually originated at a Fringe Festival before its long stint on Broadway — was a comedic romp before the lights even went down.

Police officer characters searched the aisles during a preshow even asking to see show tickets, so be sure to keep those handy.

The two-hour and 15-minute satire (yes there is a 10-minute intermission) focuses on a dystopian society where a water shortage caused by a 20-year drought has led to a ban on private toilets. That’s right. It is a paying privilege to use public washrooms — and there’s even a song about it.

The two-level stage inside Holy Trinity Anglican Church is mostly bare but the choreography effectively uses the whole set with eerie, and also comedic, movement.

The show is high energy right to the final curtain call with powerhouse performances from all the leads.

It’s the townsfolk ensemble that stands out, playing a variety of characters with such emotion and intensity that one feels transported.

As Little Sally says at the top of the show, bad subject matter and a bad title could kill a show pretty quick. But don’t be fooled, Urinetown is a musical to run to. Just make sure to use the washroom first.