Scott Purvis-Armour reviews the Scottish return of the acclaimed (and controversial) Broadway and West End smash.
God almighty! In a world of tariffs and trade wars, The Book of Mormon has a lot to shout about the United States and its relationship with the modern world.
Here, Elder Price, a white-shirted Mormon missionary, naively dreams of spreading the good word in Orlando. Instead, he finds himself leaving behind the smiles of Salt Lake City and sent to convert the impoverished people of Northern Uganda to his church. With quick direction and choreography by Casey Nicholas which raises a middle-finger to tradition, literally, this is a visually exciting with plenty for U(to)ganda at.
Long before he “Let It Go” and wrote the music for Disney’s Frozen, the Tony Award winning Robert Lopez penned the bouncy score for this hilarious and heartfelt show. A varied hymnal of rock and roll, a cappella and the golden era of Broadway, this warm and fun score is as catchy as a tropical disease.
With such a loveable songbook, the plucky cast are a joy from the first doorbell ring - their wide-smiles are brighter than their teeth, clasping the audience in a warm handshake which never lets go until the final note. The Mormon ensemble are outstanding performers, finding tones of heaven in voice and movement, whilst the excellent Uganda villagers beam with a witty cynicism and energy.
Adam Bailey is worth a high Price as the show’s main missionary. With a belt higher than his trousers, he carries the show’s challenging numbers lightly with a “little Donny Osmond flair” that collapses brilliantly as his smile fades. Sam Glen, too, is excellent as his adorable sidekick Elder Cunningham, and Nyah Nish finds beautiful pathos and comedy as Nabulunghi.
That comedy arguably earned the show nine Tony Awards. With a mouth from the same potty as South Parkand Team America: World Police, The Book of Mormon is probably the most profanity-propelled show ever to curse on the King’s stage since Elaine C. Smith banged her toe on a beanstalk - this is a sophisticated sewer of f-bombs (and more than a few c-bombs) which is delivered with the innocent smiles of Sesame Street puppets.
Few of the jokes feel menacingly below the belt, though some of them certainly are: they smash into tropes about AIDS, FGM and life in developing nations with a heavy-fist and little sensitivity. The significant rewrites since its 2011 premiere have gone some way in addressing these issues, challenging accusations of its “white-saviour” narrative and rewriting some stereotypes in its portrayal of African people.
What remains is a gospel on the fantastical power of religion to shift and shape itself to exploit the needs of the lost - like Martin Luther hammering a notice to the door of a church, The Book of Mormon is a protest against the colonialism of religion (Dr Livingstone, I presume?) and an effing good night out.
The Book of Mormon performs at the Glasgow King’s Theatre until May 31, 2025. It continues its tour—along with its West End run. For further details go to the production website.
Photo courtesy of Story House.
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