URINETOWN to Host Charity Performance Gala to Support Water.Org, 20 October

The splash hit and multi Tony award-winning musical Urinetown directed by Jamie Lloyd has announced a special charity performance gala to support Water.org on Monday 20 October in London. In conjunction with Urinetown's West End transfer, the gala will introduce this new collaboration with Water.org to raise awareness of the global water crisis.

Urinetown is an hilarious and satirical musical set in a futuristic, dystopian society where the Earth's water supply has been depleted, therefore making private toilets unthinkable and against the law. Through this new collaboration with Water.org, Urinetown aims to raise awareness about the real global water crisis that the world's population is facing today.

Water Crisis Facts:

• 780 million people in the world lack access to safe water. 2.5 billion lack improved sanitation.
• 1 in 9 people don't have safe water to drink. 1 in 4 doesn't have a toilet.
• Every minute at least one child dies due to a water-related illness.
• More people in the world have access to a mobile phone than a toilet.

This special gala performance celebrates the beginning of a long-term fundraising collaboration between Urinetown and Water.org. Urinetown will be donating proceeds from the gala to the nonprofit organization, as well as providing ongoing support in conjunction with its West End run.

"Water.org welcomes Urinetown's support to share our vision of a world where everyone has access to safe drinking water and can experience the dignity of a toilet," says Water.org co-founder Gary White.

"The best sort of theatre engages directly with the world. It may be great fun, but it should also be vital and apposite, and perhaps, instigate a broader discussion. Urinetown's dystopian future does not have to be a prediction unless we make it so. We are delighted that the production can assist the mission of Water.org whilst keeping its audience laughing along the way." Jamie Lloyd, Director, Urinetown.

For more than two decades, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based initiatives to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation -- giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than a million individuals around the world, ensuring a better life for generations ahead. Learn more at http://water.org and www.facebook.com/water.

Urinetown is a sharp-witted rampant riot of a show that tells the tale of a town fit to burst; spending a penny can prove problematic in a place where the privilege to pee has become a punishable offence. There is no such thing as rent free relief until our young hero, Bobby Strong, appears - with more than a good set of pipes - and starts a revolution!

Sometimes all you need is a drop of a hope to change the world.

Director Jamie Lloyd's critically acclaimed, sell-out production of Urinetown The Musical, with music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, will transfer to the Apollo Theatre from 29 September 2014. Richard Fitch is the Associate Director.

Full casting includes the Olivier Award winning Jenna Russell (Penelope Pennywise), star of the RSC, Jonathan Slinger (Officer Lockstock), EastEnders' Marc Elliott (Mr. McQueen), critically acclaimed actor and playwright Simon Paisley Day (Caldwell B. Cladwell), rising star Matthew Seadon-Young (Bobby Strong), BBC's The Voice star Nathan Amzi (Officer Barrel), 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), 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), Christina Modestou (Swing), Joel Montague (Swing), Jeff Nicholson (Tiny Tom/ Dr. Billeaux), Kane Oliver Parry (Robbie The Stockfish) and Vicki Lee Taylor (Swing).

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, casting by David Grindrod Associates, wig & hair design by Richard Mawbey, fight direction by Kate Waters, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin and musical supervision & direction by Alan Williams.

URINETOWN The Musical is produced by JULIAN STONEMAN ASSOCIATES & THE ARACA GROUP, along with Jenifer Evans, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Greenleaf Productions, in association with Flora Suk Hwa Yoon, Los Foleys, Olympus Theatricals, Deborah Negri, Richard Winkler, Manal Morrar.

URINETOWN The Musical originally ran on Broadway to great acclaim from 2001 until 2004 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards, and won for Best Book, Best Score and 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.