This irreverent musical comes to Birmingham for December, bringing humour to the dark nights.
Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of late 1990s cartoon show South Park) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) Book of Mormon tells the story of two newly trained Mormon missionaries as they head out into the world. Elder Price and Elder Cunningham are assigned to a village that couldn’t be further from Salt Lake City USA. Will they be able to convert the villagers and will they keep their own faith?
This is not a show for the easily offended or young families. The humour and language are of a very adult nature throughout. Having said that, most of the audience seemed to know what to expect and found much to laugh out loud at.
Although the plot is thin, the musical numbers provide the most surprising moments of the night, especially in the second half. Every song is an original and they are used to develop the story and of course add more humour. You never quite know what is coming next.
Nyah Nish as Nabulungi delivers some strong vocals while playing potentially the most serious character of the show. Adam Bailey (Elder Price) and Sam Glen (Elder Cunnigham) work perfectly together as the slightly odd missionary partnership. Bailey gives his character presence and confidence while Glen’s character is enthusiastic but naive. Both give heartfelt performances in their songs. The other members of the cast have a lot to do, with most playing multiple characters. Everyone has perfect comedy timing with their delivery of both the script and the songs. The choreography by Casey Nicholaw helps to show the cultural divide between the Elders and the Villagers. Elders have musical theatre style with a touch of camp while the villagers have a more natural rhythm vibe. Both are performed with enthusiasm.
The set is simple and unusual these days in its use of scenic clothes and physical pieces, but this fits with the setting where anything high tech would look out of place.
Book of Mormon will not be to everyone’s taste. However, the performances from every member of cast, orchestra and crew cannot be faulted. If this kind of adult humour tickles your funny bone, you will have a great time, if not you may want to give it a miss. Personally, I found it a great antidote to the festive season.
Runs until 28th December 2024, https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/
Reviewer: Annette Nuttall
Reviewed: 4th December 2024
North West End UK Rating: