It has thrilled people from all over the world, with shows in America, the UK and Melbourne and finally it has arrived in Sydney. Tickets have been flying out of the door and I have to say if you want to see one show this year you should choose Book of Mormon.
It is a refreshingly different musical. You don't often find a piece of theatre which deals with so may serious topics in such a comical way that you find yourself laughing, but at the same time in the back of your brain you realise there is a serious message there. For example, the circumcision of African woman is one of them and of course religion and in particular Mormons. If you are a Mormon and or not very open minded this might not be for you.
I went not know exactly what I would be seeing and I often think with theatre it is a good way to go.
The Book of Mormon is about Elder Price (Ryan Bondy) and Elder Cunningham (A.J. Holmes), two young American missionaries fresh from their training and sent to Uganda. Elder Price is the typical clean-cut, polite, devoted Mormon, while Elder Cunningham is clumsy loner just looking for a friend. It’s a classic odd couple situation. Elder Price is a great character and A J Holmes playing of him reminded me of a character who is a cross between Norman Wisdom and Frank from Some Mother's Do Have Them. As with life, the two young Mormons realise that converting the villagers in Uganda is not going to be easy as they imaged. The villagers are dealing with their own issues - AIDS, female Circumcision and the tyrant General Butt Naked. The villages are of course converted but not as you would image as pure Mormons but come to believe in themselves.
The show was incredibly slick and fast paced. The choreography was extremely good particularly in the African scenes.
Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, alongside composer/lyricist Robert Lopez. It is as you would expect crude but extremely entertaining.
Reviewed by Philippa Bird, What's on Sydney