We review The Book of Mormon at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal
If someone had asked me, could a musical be brilliantly funny, yet poignant and heart-warming, and raise much-needed awareness of serious global issues while being ridiculously offensive?
I would have said no, absolutely not — but then again, I hadn’t seen The Book of Mormon before, and I’m so glad that I had because it was hands-down one of the best musicals I’ve seen in a long time.
The multi-award winning musical sees two young American missionaries, Elder Kevin Price and Elder Arnold Cunningham, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) who are paired up together and await their assignments to be sent out into the world to convert new members into the church.
Despite ambitious Kevin’s desire to be sent to the bright lights of Orlando in Florida, the pair are instead sent to a remote village in Uganda where they must convert as many villagers as possible.
What they are up against is a village oppressed by warlords who hold a reign of terror over the local people, who are somewhat jaded by their terrible living condition, as well as a group of local LDS missionaries who have already tried and failed to baptise anyone into the faith.
I had no idea what to expect with this musical based around Mormonism, maybe a few laughs, but what I didn’t anticipate was laughing almost solidly for two hours straight.
The show had a brilliantly talented cast performing perfectly choreographed dance numbers and showcasing some incredible singing talents. They had the audience in stitches poking fun at LDS members and the origins of Mormonism itself, as well as many more contemporary jokes — many of which I can’t repeat.
The funniest songs are probably the most offensive, as the villagers joyfully sing and dance about the powerful slogan that helps them cope with their difficult situations (which I definitely can’t repeat in a family newspaper) in a playful dig at The Lion King’s Hakuna Matata, as well as the Spooky Mormon Hell Dream which had some very familiar mass murderers — and a global coffee chain — tormenting Kevin.
While some of the humour may not be seen as the most tasteful for some people, with some NSFW language and gross-out jokes, keep in mind that the musical comes from the minds behind 90s cartoon South Park, and go in with an open mind.
The musical also shone a light on some very important issues including FGM, racial profiling, the impact of devout religion on mental health, and the ‘white saviour’ complex, as well as the importance of believing in yourself and the power of friendship.
Overall, The Book of Mormon was just brilliant and I also left a little educated, as I actually learned a lot about Mormonism!
The Book of Mormon will be running at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal until Saturday 28 June, and I’d recommend it for anyone who wants a good laugh while also being entertained to go and see it. — RA
