The Book of Mormon was reviewed at The Alexandra, Birmingham where it continues until 28 December 2024. The tour continues until 8 November 2025.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
The Book of Mormon continues to run from strength to strength on both sides of the Atlantic over a decade since it first hit the stage, and if you can’t get to London, you’re in luck, as those adorable white-shirted missionaries are currently on the road and ringing doorbells in a city near you. The irreverent musical satire on organised religion polarised public opinion but was a critical award-winning hit, despite being seen by some as racially insensitive (which lead to a few rewrites when the show reopened after the pandemic, particularly in response to the powerful ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement).
At a missionary training centre in Utah, new recruits Elder Price (played by Adam Bailey) and Elder Cunningham (Sam Glen) are eagerly awaiting to hear which destination they’ll be sent to in order to spread the word about the Mormon faith. Price is crushed when he learns he’s being sent to a remote village in Uganda, and with the intense Cunningham in tow who has a tendency to make things up.
Upon arrival in Uganda, the Elders are appalled at the living conditions of the Ugandan people, and try to teach them about Mormonism. The villagers care little for the teachings, having bigger problems to deal with, among them famine, poverty, AIDS and female genital mutilation, as well as living in fear of the local general (Rodney Earl Clarke). Desperate to leave her surroundings, local villager Nabulungi (Nyah Nish) yearns to learn more about the Mormons’ promise of a better life and encourages the other villagers to listen, while Price secretly longs to ditch the mission and escape to his beloved Orlando.
The Book of Mormon comes from the minds of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Robert Lopez (the creator of Avenue Q and songwriter on Frozen). The team’s credentials certainly prove that these guys know how to write a musical, and this is every inch the big Broadway show in terms of its score. The songs are catchy from the first listen, witty ensemble numbers, memorable melodies, triumphant ‘I want’ songs, even a glorious tap number with pink glittery vests for the Mormon boys. As a musical and a series of theatrical moments, it certainly delivers, with slick award-winning original choreography and direction from Casey Nicholaw (along with Parker) that bring a wealth of visual energy to the show, along with fantastic designs for scenes (Scott Pask) and lighting (Brian MacDevitt).
Where the show walks a much more divisive line is in its humour, particularly in its Ugandan scenes, which cuts so close to the bone (and even way past the bone if we’re honest) with such razor-sharp bite that some may well find it just too cutting. Whether it’s offensive or not is open to debate and individual viewpoints, and in fairness most social groups get a roasting within the show in one way or another, but it’s never fully clear just who is getting the last laugh and what the intention is.
With strong language, incredibly adult content and explicit themes (which shouldn’t really be a surprise coming from the people who created South Park), the show’s more shocking elements will elicit different reactions from different people; some will find it offensive, others will find it hilarious. In truth, there are undeniably funny elements to the script, and all of the dialogue and interplay between the Mormons is brilliantly done, it’s just the Ugandan elements which some may find more challenging, but then, perhaps that’s the point.
The anarchic zealous tone of The Book of Mormon isn’t easy to achieve, but the cast certainly make it look effortless and clearly have a blast up on that stage. Bailey and Glen have appeared in the show previously and this connection really comes through, with both actors excelling in their comic timing and chemistry. Bailey is uncannily reminiscent of a young Andrew Rannells (who originated the role on Broadway) and does a fantastic job, delivering some big notes with apparent ease. Nish is a fresh and vibrant delight as Nabulungi and utterly charming, and Tom Bales also impresses as the closeted Elder McKinley. There’s also some fantastic deadpan work from Kirk Patterson as Nabulungi’s father Mafala Hatimbi, and Rodney Earl Clarke dominates the stage as the menacing General.
An absolute ‘Marmite’ show if ever there was one, The Book of Mormon’s fantastic songs and performances make an undeniably entertaining show this festive season. Even if the humour and story aren’t to everyone’s taste, there’s certainly not many Books like this one.
Rob Bartley
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