Review: Crowd at Leeds Grand Theatre enraptured in laughter by The Book of Mormon
Having seen my fair share of theatre productions in recent years, I felt like I was ready for what the The Book Of Mormon would offer.
How wrong I was.
With its outrageously large cast, incredible production scale and sublime score, the performance was a triumph that had the opulent venue’s crowd enraptured.
One factor that did put me in good stead was the close association I had with South Park in my adolescent years, with the satirical American cartoon comedy’s mix of close-to-the-bone and downright dirty humour being at the heart of the play.
Co-written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with Bobby Lopez, whose song writing credits include the Disney film Frozen, The Book Of Mormon has been an award-sweeping phenomenon since it was first unleashed to the world in 2011.
It follows the story of Elders Price and Cunningham from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they embark on a missionary expedition to a place of their beloved church’s choosing.
While their graduating contemporaries in Salt Lake City are transferred with joyous optimism to the likes of France and Japan, Price and Cunningham have all of their initial wide-eyed euphoria and enthusiasm put to the ultimate test as they are sent to bring the good word to a war, famine and disease-ravaged village in Uganda.
This duality of the Mormon’s unbounded earnestness and the devastating realties of their environment, where they are faced with concerns of maggot-infested scrotums and child abuse, plays out expertly throughout the play.
The two main characters’ opposing approaches are also central, with Elder Price (played by Adam Bailey) leading the charge with the devout conviction that he will achieve “something incredible”, despite being partnered with the hapless Elder Cunningham (Sam Glen), who is more inspired with the teachings of Frodo, Yoda and The Hulk than the church’s founder Joseph Smith.
Upon landing in the village they are introduced to their fellow missionaries, led by the sublimely extra Elder McKinley (Tom Bales), who have so far converted the grand total of zero people to the religion.
At this point Elder McKinley teaches them how to suppress any negative thoughts with the song ‘Turn It Off’, which, with its incredible dance number and costume changes, is one of the highlights of an incredible score.
Others are the ecstatically simple introductory number ‘Hello!’, which will change how you greet people for days after, and the hilarious ‘Joseph Smith American Moses’ which rounds off the story to devastating effect and which, if you’re ever given the chance, will change how you say ‘I’ve got the golden plate’, for the rest of your days.
The stage sets up and the production too are simply dazzling. Elaborate costume changes are used for brief-second laughs and the scene changes are stunning, with the initial transition to Africa pummelling you straight into the mud and a foray into ‘Spooky Mormon Hell’ by Elder Cunningham as he wrestles with his destiny and demons being brilliantly bombastic.
While there are times that the smutty humour boarders on tasteless and the casts’ mostly-flawless commitment to the overly accentuated characters is tested, overall this is a true accomplishment that stretches the generations. Before I would never have envisaged my mum screaming with laughter at a play with a recurring joke about a maggot-infested scrotum.
The Book Of Mormon will be performed at The Grand Leeds until November 29. For more information and tickets visit the website.