Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with the Cast of West End's URINETOWN

Urinetown, the musical, will begin its limited season run at The St James Theatre from this Saturday, 22 February 2014, running until 3 May 2014, with press night on 11 March 2014. Check out a first look at the cast in reherasal below!

Hank Unger (co-producer, The Araca Group) said, "Urinetown was one of the most unlikely shows to ever see the light of day, let alone to be successfully produced, beginning first at the New York International Fringe Festival in 1999, followed by the off-Broadway premiere in 2001 that subsequently transferred to Broadway where it won three Tony Awards and ran for nearly three years. Since that time, Urinetown has gone on to be produced across America as well as in Germany, Japan, Korea and Australia, but before now, never in the UK. Now here we are at the St. James Theatre thirteen years later, where Urinetown is receiving its London premiere under the direction of Jamie Lloyd, leading an exciting company and creative team".

Urinetown stars Marc Elliott (EastEnders/The History Boys/Tape) as Mr. McQueen, Richard Fleeshman (Ghost/Legally Blonde/Coronation Street) as Bobby Strong, Simon Paisley Day (Sherlock/Musketeers/Timon Of Athens) as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Jenna Russell (Merrily We Roll Along/Sunday In The Park With George/Guys And Dolls) as Penelope Pennywise, Jonathan Slinger (Hamlet/The Tempest/Yes, Prime Minister) as Officer Lockstock and is directed by Jamie Lloyd(The Commitments, Macbeth, The Hothouse, The Pride) at the St James Theatre.

Further casting for the UK Premiere of Urinetown includes Chris Bennett (Swing), Katie Bernstein (Little Becky Two Shoes/Mrs. Millennium), Alasdair Buchan(Swing), Cory English (Old Man Strong/Hot Blades Harry), Madeleine Harland (Soupy Sue/Cladwell's Secretary), Rosanna Hyland (Hope Cladwell), Karis Jack (Little Sally), Julie Jupp (Old Woman/Josephine Strong), Aaron Lee Lambert (Billy Boy Bill/UGC Executive), Mark Meadows (Senator Fipp), Joel Montague(Swing), Jo Napthine (Swing), Jeff Nicholson (Tiny Tom/Dr. Billeaux), Adam Pearce (Officer Barrel), Charlotte Scott (Swing) and Matthew Seadon-Young(Robbie The Stockfish/UGC Executive).

URINETOWN, the musical, has music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis and is produced by Julian Stoneman Associates and The Araca Group. The production is designed by Evening Standard award winner Soutra Gilmour with choreography by Ann Yee, lighting design by Adam Silverman,sound design by Terry Jardine & Nick Lidster, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin, wig & hair design by Richard Mawbey, fight direction by Kate Waters and musical supervision & direction by Alan Williams.

URINETOWN The Musical ran on Broadway to great acclaim from 2001 until 2004 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards, and won for Best Book, Best Scoreand Best Direction. In addition, it also won three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards and the Drama League Award for Best Musical.

Photos by Joan Persson