The Book Of Mormon: Musical Review

To most British people, their biggest exposure to Mormonism is either via The Killers singer Brandon Flowers, former US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, from a South Park episode from 2003 about them or they largely don't know it.

There are Mormons in Britain - 900 missionaries were stationed here in 2012 and there are a number of believers - but its seen as a more niche religion here then in its spiritual home in the Rocky Mountains states of America.

On a bigger scale, the Mormons are getting more exposure, albeit in a more borderline-offensive way.

The Book of Mormon is a huge all-American musical production, led by South Park masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Avenue Q creator Robert Lopez. So far its been a storming success in the USA, sweeping up awards and repeatedly selling out its Broadway home.

Its also had a healthy start to life in London. Like in New York the critics have been (largely) appreciative, as have fans, while tickets have sold like wildfire, and its certainly hard to ignore given how much of London Undeground's advertising space is taken by promo posters.

Through the doors of Leicester Square's Prince of Wales Theatre and the play is almost another world.

The Book of Mormon begins with an introduction to our primary missionaries and the jaunty "Hello!" - a glitzy, brisk musical introduction to approved door-to-door conversion, although over here we're more used to them being Jehovah's Witnesses.

We're introduced to the two leads - the charismatic yet cocky Elder Price and the slightly backward Elder Cunningham. The latter bursts into the opening tune with the impressively timed "Hello! Would you like to change religions? I have a free book written by Jesus!"

Cunningham admits toward the end of Act One he didn't even read the Book after earlier saying he frequently lies. He's a lovable character but a fairly useless missionary.

Both heroes are fish out of water in their surroundings for the mission though. Despite praying to be sent to his ideal land of Orlando, Florida, Price is sent with Cunningham all the way to Uganda.

The next few songs show the gravity of his problems. His stuff is robbed by warlords, a devastated village under the rule of General Butt Fucking-Naked, the locals are unwilling to convert - the jawdropping brilliance of "Hasa Diga Eebowai" made that perfectly clear - and the Mormon missionaries already there are unprepared to break their inflexible logic.

Uneasy and fraying as it can get, the chemistry between the two main elders is the driving force to the first part. Its standard glueing the opposites together stuff, albeit in the face of stronger adversity than others.

Not that their adversity can match those of the natives. This is merely a glitzy window into the genuine troubles some people in that area - AIDS, famine, poverty, genital mutilation-happy warlords and the like.

Its tricky to wring laughs out of a painful real world environment. Not for the want of trying - there is success when the Mormon visitors asks "Is there something missing from your life?" and one of the villagers simply looks at the house.

Clearly, our Utah heroes have their work cut out. The cynical villagers are still happy to curse their beloved holy fathers - as noted, this is possibly the only Tony Award winning show to have a song where God is literally given the middle finger treatment.

The first act is good enough but its the second act where things all slide into place, with the proper momentum, jibes and music.

The music itself is consistently impressive. Although it primarily sticks to a similar formula, it still impresses and helps carry along the dialogue. It also sounds better at the points it differentiates. The previously menointed "Hasa Diga..." is African tribal percussion and melodies, while Elder Price re-emerges for the 2nd act to "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", which is a fantastic blend of heavy rock and musical formula.

While Price is being serenaded in his hell dream by Hitler, Genghis Khan, OJ Simpson's lawyer and giant cups of coffee, Elder Cunningham has already begun trying to indoctrinate his new African chums into Mormonism. Not that it's easy with references to Ewoks, the Starship Enterprise and trying to mould it to his audience. Not even his conscience - a mix of his dad, Darth Vader, Lt. Uhura and others - can dissuade him.

There's something weirdly lovable about Cunningham. He certainly has a lot of delightful one-lines, such as saying "the Bible's a trilogy, and the Book of Mormon is Return of the Jedi". His song with lead Ugandan character Nabulungi about baptising her is in particular quite something.

A few of his quirky additions to the Mormon story are delightful but flawed, not least when the villagers think they're actual parts of the religion and perform them to the Mission President.

One of the little things in the movie that is its best is actually in this sequence - its the mixture of horrified expressions on the Mormon missionaries as the bastardised version of their tale is told to them. A number of little things like that contributes to the laugh total but its this one that particularly impresses.

Another thing the reenactment of the Cunningham tales creates is one of the closest we get to an anti-religion stab and welcoming embrace of the point of religion simultaneously, when the last song is cued up by referring to the final song by saying of Cunningham's story; "It's just a bunch of made-up stuff, but it points to something bigger."

The production is not exclusive mocking of the faith. There is stuff to mock - most notably on "I Believe", which gets away with the hugely boderline lyric "I believe… that in 1978 God suddenly changed his mind about black people". This is in reference to the fact Mormonism used to refuse to admit them until they changed policy, most likely under public pressure despite them using that spin.

It is weird to say a musical that features the lyric "Fuck you God" can be considered even-handed on the religion yet if anything it celebrates them as much as it mocks them.

The Mormons certainly have been fairly good game with it, even with their cheeky advertising strapline "The book is always better" featured in the programme, although the ending 4th book would be a good addition to a new religion.

The cocktail of the whole thing is a lovely mixture of blasphemy, celebration, comedy, music and rhythm. Usually in the same song. Its certainly a delightful night out on Coventry Street.

4.5/5