When The Book of Mormon opened in London’s West End in 2013, it certainly got people talking.
Written by Robert Lopez (co-creator of Avenue Q) alongside Trey Parker and Matt Stone from South Park, the musical was unlike anything the London theatre scene had seen before.
Packed with outrageous jokes about AIDS, poverty, female genital mutilation, child rape and more blasphemy than you could imagine, the show pushed boundaries while still delivering one of the funniest and most cleverly written musicals of the last two decades.
A key rite of passage in the Mormon Church is the missionary programme, where young members complete their training and are sent around the world to preach the word of God and convert people to their faith.
Prized pupil Elder Price dreams that Heavenly Father will send him to his favourite place in the world – Orlando, Florida. His assigned partner, Elder Cunningham, isn’t nearly as picky. He’s simply thrilled to finally have a best friend ( who can’t escape because they are never allowed to be apart, no matter how annoying things might become).
When Elder Price and Elder Cunningham arrive in a remote village in Uganda, Price is filled with hope and confidence that he will convert the locals with ease.
However, he quickly discovers that when people are dealing with disease, poverty and famine, there isn’t always much time to think about religion.
Local villager Nabulungi begins to dream that there might truly be a better life somewhere beyond Uganda, imagining a promised land called “Sal Tlay Ka Siti.”
When Elder Price storms off in frustration, determined to return to America and demand reassignment, Elder Cunningham realises it’s time to “Man Up” and take matters into his own hands – even if that means falling back into his old habit of “Making Things Up Again.”
As Cunningham begins improvising his own version of Mormon teachings, the villagers become increasingly fascinated with how much it relates to their lives.
After experiencing the surreal and hilarious “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” Elder Price finally recognises his own shortcomings. In the show-stopping anthem “I Believe,” he rediscovers his faith and returns to rejoin his fellow missionaries.
By this point, Elder Cunningham has won over Nabulungi completely, and she eagerly prepares to join the church in “Baptize Me.”
News of the missionaries’ success spreads all the way back to church headquarters in America. Impressed by the sudden wave of conversions, the head of the Mormon Church decides to visit Uganda and witness the miraculous results firsthand.
Unfortunately for Elder Cunningham, the newly baptised villagers decide to perform a presentation for their visitors, proudly explaining everything they have learned about “Joseph Smith American Moses.”
The problem is, Cunningham may have stretched the truth just a little… considering he has never actually read the Book of Mormon himself.
The new cast of The Book of Mormon are brilliant.
Declan Egan couldn’t be better cast as Elder Price. Standing tall at 6ft 4″, he towers over the other mormons, which adds to the comedy of it all.
Conner Peirson, who has been playing Elder Cunningham around the world for several years now is perfect and the hilariously crazy sidekick and Regan-Bailey Walker plays Nabulungi with beautiful innocence.
The show opens with the brilliantly upbeat number “Hello!”, introducing the life of a Mormon missionary as they knock on doors asking strangers if they have time to talk about religion.
“Two by Two” is a wonderful way to send them off on their global missions and also gives a nice little wink to the biblical story of Noah’s Arc.
“Hasa Diga Eebowai” — a mantra that expresses their frustration with life and their rather unkind feelings toward God is the song that will have you coming out of act one singing and is where audiences decide if this show is for them or not. If you’re going to walk out of the show in horror of what you are watching – this will be the time.
“Turn It Off” is a camptastic tap-number where the missionaries talk about their coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult thoughts.
When Nabulungi begins to dream that there might truly be a better life somewhere beyond her circumstances, she imagines what life might be like in the promised land called “Sal Tlay Ka Siti.”
When Elder Price storms off in frustration, determined to return to America and demand reassignment, Elder Cunningham realises it’s time to “Man Up” and take matters into his own hands. This song is a brilliant rocky ending to act one, delving into the mind of Cunningham and gives foresight into what his teachings of the bible may look like.
Unfortunately, that means falling back into his old habit of “Making Things Up Again.”
After experiencing the surreal and hilarious “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” Elder Price finally recognises his own shortcomings.
In the show-stopping anthem “I Believe,” he rediscovers his faith and returns to rejoin his fellow missionaries.
By this point, Elder Cunningham has won over Nabulungi completely, and she eagerly prepares to join the church in “Baptize Me.”
Unfortunately for Elder Cunningham, the newly baptised villagers decide to perform a presentation for their visitors, proudly explaining everything they have learned about “Joseph Smith American Moses.”
