"The Book Of Mormon"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are responsible for "South Park" and Robert Lopez, who co-created the musical Avenue Q and co-wrote the songs for Disney’s Frozen and Coco. Since its' debut back in 2011, this has been THE musical that everyone wants to see, which explains the reason why the run at the Theatre Royal is until Saturday 28 June.

The musical follows a pair of Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s a long way from their home in Salt Lake City, Uganda!

This musical breaks every taboo going, possibly insulting everyone; everyone who has no sense of humour. Even so, this is possibly one of the most un-PC pieces of theatre, but one of the funniest, and naughtiest things I've seen on stage.... well, since the last time I saw the show back in 2022!

Elder Price is the top Mormon student, the one most likely to get a gold star for his conversion technique. He is full of confidence, and wants to preach the Mormon word in....Orlando! He is teamed up with Elder Cunningham, who is the complete opposite, and tends to make up parts of the scripture. When both find out that they are being sent to Uganda, and after being in the country for five minutes and having their baggage stolen, they both receive a reality check, but will they manage to convert the almost feral African tribe and get their names on the "baptism chart"?

Sam Glen as Elder Cunningham is, for me, the top billing in this musical, followed only slightly by his Mormonic foil, Adam Bailey as Elder Price. Both excellent comic actors with wonderful voices and so much energy. 

Nyah Nish as Nabulungi, the young village girl who has a dream of Salt Laker City and moving there. She believes what Elder Cunningham is preaching and decides to get baptised by the Elder, and then changes the opinions of the village to revert to being Mormons and to get baptised. Nabulungi is the first person to ever be baptised in the village since the Mormons, prior to the current Elders, were dispatched. There is a wonderful running joke with Nabulungi's name, or should that be the mispronunciation of her name, throughout the show. 

Elder Mckinley, the Elder who was in charge before Elders Cunningham and Price arrived, and is a wonderfully camp character, in the most wonderfully camp musical, since the last wonderfully camp musical I saw. Tom Bales is brilliant in this part.

Will Barratt plays Price's Dad, Joseph Smith as well as the Mission President, whose initial glee at the Elders' breakthrough soon turns to horror when he discovers what they have really been teaching the villagers!

Daniel George-Wright plays Cunningham's dad.

Mrs Brown, who has been brought in to give Elder Price a very special send off, is played by Olympia Curry.

The Guards are played by Kayode Salina and Hayden Cable.

Mafala Hatimbi  is Nabalungi’s father and the community leader in his village. He has been hired to accompany Elders Price and Cunningham to their mission headquarters, is played by Kirk Patterson.

The Doctor, who it seems can't remedy his own personal ills, is played by Daniel David Griffith.

The General, who rules the village with his own special set of rules, is played by Rodney Earl Clarke, who has an incredible voice away from the world of musical theatre, as well as having a marvellous set of pipes in this show.

A brilliant ensemble of singers and dancers swelled the village scenes as well as creating a powerful wave of extremely tuneful voices.

From an illuminated Jesus to an amazing Satan, and even the odd character from Star Trek and Star Wars, the costumes are wonderful, especially in the "Hell section".

The set designs ranged from the Utah Mormon Headquarters, through to a fake Orlando which transformed into Hades, to an African village, all changed with smooth transitions.

Directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, with choreography also by Casey Nicholaw, set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design by Brian Ronan, hair design by Josh Marquette and orchestrations by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus and music supervision by Nick Finlow and vocal arrangements by Stephen Oremus. Musical Director is Danny Belton.

I don't feel that I need to carry on about just how funny, and shocking, this show is, because anyone who has seen "South Park" will know just how funny, and shocking, the work of Parker and Stone can be. This musical may not change your life, but it will give you a brilliant night of naughty fun, and is definitely one not to be missed!

"The Book Of Mormon", which is even funnier the second time around, is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 28 June and there is an age restriction of 16+ due to the language used.