A comedy about religion? And a musical? Of course, I couldn’t resist. The Book of Mormon isn’t your grandma’s idea of an evening at the theatre—unless she has a surprising tolerance for songs about maggots in scrotums.
The premise is as sharp as it is ridiculous: two naive Mormon missionaries are sent to Uganda, armed with a holy book and an almost militant optimism. Unsurprisingly, their earnestness doesn’t quite match the harsh realities on the ground.
Let’s be honest: Mormonism—with its magic underwear and golden plates—already feels like it’s straight out of a Broadway script. So, the musical isn’t exactly a love letter to organised religion. Instead, it’s a takedown of blind faith, the absurdity of belief systems, and the bizarre ways people cling to hope. The writing is razor-sharp, the tunes are endlessly catchy, and watching the 10th-anniversary performance on the West End made it even more special.
By the final curtain, there’s a strange warmth to it all—a reminder that even the weirdest beliefs can sometimes help us muddle through life. With jazz hands, of course.
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The Book of Mormon
Prince of Wales Theatre, London
Book, music & lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone
Directed by Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker
Cast: Dom Simpson as Elder Price, Conner Peirson as Elder Cunningham, Leanne Robinson as Nabulungi, et al.
Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere).
Illustration by Elia Kabanov feat. Midjourney.
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