You’re the musical people see when they don’t like musicals. You kinda feel like something dreamt up by a couple of sniggering teenage boys. The anti-musical.
So, it makes complete sense that your writers are Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park. That’s all anyone needs to know before going in to see you, honestly. You’re crass, politically incorrect, unafraid to cross any line, and bold in delivering those ‘are we allowed to laugh at that?’ moments.
You tell the story of two mismatched young Mormon missionaries who are sent to Africa to spread their faith, in a local village struggling with poverty, AIDS, and local warlords. But it’s a story you tell while throwing all manner of swear words, rude fingers, innuendos and general absurdity at us.
And Book of Mormon, despite all this you’ve had us in stitches. It seems we can’t get enough of your toe-tappingly catchy – but utterly inappropriate – songs, and your exaggeratingly satirical take-down of those poor Mormons, who are the butt of almost every joke.
Your entertainment value is undeniable. Vocals, choreography, costumes, sets, lighting, sound. Indeed, your jokes may be low-brow, but your overall production quality is sky high. It’s hard to figure out which numbers are the highlights because they’re actually all a lot of fun.
As we watch an increasingly absurd Mormon hell dream unfold before our eyes, or an epic but oh-so-wrong play about Mormon founding father, Joseph Smith, we feel a tad guilty enjoying something so inane so damn much. (But not so guilty as to keep from hollering along with an audience on first preview night who, at the conclusion of the latter number became momentarily deafening with their applause).
It helps that your cast are incredible, and so well suited to their roles. Nick Cox as Elder Cunningham – the role originated by Josh Gad on Broadway – had us at ‘hello!’ despite his social awkwardness and penchant for telling porky pies. He’s the endearing underdog we love to love.
Sean Johnston as Elder Price has an exquisite talent for singing ridiculous lyrics with complete musical theatre sincerity and soaring vocals. Paris Leveque, as Nabulungi, is a gem on all fronts. She stops the show descending into absolute chaos. (Though we will never be able to look at baptism in quite the same way again). And how your ensemble can keep a straight face while doing what they do is a mystery.
But what we never would have thought, as we sat aghast during Act 1, was that we’d ultimately arrive at an ending with heart. (The sprinkling of elderly couples who never make it back for Act 2 clearly couldn’t imagine it either). But the fact that Cox and Johnson, through their beautiful friendship, would be able to rouse emotion in an audience who’d come in to just to have a laugh is no small feat.
And you know what? It’s the weirdest thing… for a musical that seems on the surface to be nothing but a piss-take on the premise of religion, your overarching message is actually kind of profound. It’s the importance of having something to believe in. Even if those beliefs do revolve around some highly questionable metaphors. But we guess that’s what you were going for.
With love,
The Book of Mormon is showing at the Capitol Theatre until 25 January 2026. Photos by Daniel Boud.