Ringing on the doors of London and delivering salvation to the masses, The Book of Mormon has been bringing the Lord’s name to audiences in the West End since 2013. With the musical having reached its 10-year anniversary, I recently visited the Prince of Wales theatre to see whether I too would be converted to the Church of Jesus Christ (of Latter-Day Saints).
The Book of Mormon is a comedy musical following Elders Price and Cunningham as they are sent on their two-year mission to convert people to the Church in Uganda. Once there, they find a community sceptical of the Mormons and living in fear of the local warlord. Whilst Elder Price is led to consider his faith, Elder Cunningham befriends local Nabulungi and form a close bond. With the Mission President visiting them soon, the Mormons must work with the local Ugandans to succeed on their missions.
This musical is simply hilarious. The entire production is packed with comedic moments, (very) obscene jokes and so much dark humour that you cannot help but laugh the entire time. The concept of this show is such a peculiar choice, but it works so well. The show was initially conceived by the creators of South Park and the end result is a fantastic crazy mess of rude comedy that shines on stage. Every aspect of this show, from the writing, casting, set design, sound and light and production is done with such finesse and brilliance that it all comes together so well. All the elements are so cohesive, with none overshadowing any other and the result is a powerful musical that hits the spot perfectly (and hilariously!).
The easy stand-out performance of this musical is Conner Peirson as Elder Cunningham. He plays this role in such a way that you would think it was made for him. His portrayal is nerdy and goofy, but it’s also heartfelt and sincere. Peirson is such a genuine and talented performer who you can’t help but fall in love with. He commands this role, the stage and the entire production and I would happily watch the entire show just for his performance. Leanne Robinson, who plays Nabulungi, has a very strong voice and is possibly the strongest vocalist in the cast. She gets several solo moments throughout the story and nails each and every one of them, and her character works very well with Peirson’s Cunningham portrayal, which makes the entire main cast cohesive on stage in every number and scene.
The Book of Mormon simply blew me away. The strange, outlandish, and downright rude production is a modern theatre masterpiece and a comedy that I believe will easily stand the test of time. I look forward to revisiting this show whenever I next get the opportunity & cannot recommend it enough (if vulgar humour is your thing!)
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Book of Mormon is currently playing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End
