Life of Brian meets South Park in
this outrageously funny musical; don't be afraid to laugh, loud and long.
The creators of anarchic ‘kids’
cartoon South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have written one of the all time
funniest musicals, jampacked with fun-poking, heckle-raising, unbridled (and unapologetic)
attacks on one of the most elusive
religions in America. In doing so, they
have given the current ultra-PC society a fantastic escape where you can laugh
out at bigotry, snort with derision at the fallacies of religion and struggle to
breath with the sheer ‘middle finger to tradition’.
The tale is of two Mormon
missionaries, teenage boys who are destined, by their culture, to set out to a
distant place and bring the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. For our two starlets, Elder
Price (the all American, god fearing, 3rd gen Mormon – played by Kevin
Clay) and Elder Cunningham (the chubby misfit whose attempts to fit in lead him
to fantasise or dare we say embellish the teachings of Joseph Smith – played by
Jacob Yarlett) their paths are mashed together and they are sent over to Uganda
to attempt their conversion in deepest, darkest Africa.
Elder Price, the brightest elder
in his class, had long been hoping for
his mission to be in Florida while Elder Cunningham had just been hoping not to
be left behind and maybe make a friend, so their journey was not one either
would have chosen, but they endeavour to do their very best.
The African village is in the
grasp of an evil dictator (with possibly one of the funniest names ever written,
but for sensitive eyes I will not repeat it here) so not only do the
missionaries have to overcome the villagers’ scepticism, they also need to
challenge the guns and brutality that prevents them from choosing their own
path. Village sweetheart Nabulugi (the wonderful
Nicole-Lily Baisden) finally recognises that the Elders have a story to believe
in (though it is Elder Cunningham’s version they are told, complete with his
addition of some less than authentic characters and events) and manages to
convince the rest of her tribe to accept their teachings and convert.
For anyone who has watched South
Park (either the TV show or their 1999 feature movie Bigger, Longer, Uncut) you
know that Stone and Parker will never shy away from ripping open society and
inserting their own observations with a locker-room attitude. Origins of religion, Disney corporation and
American obsession with their past are mashed up with FGM, racial oppression, homosexuality
and even Brexit and given a high-octane make over with some brilliant songs and
dance routines. Casey Nicholaw’s
choreography and Colm O’Regan as musical director have created ‘Broadway plus’
with the showstopping scenes jam packed with glitz and glam.
Book of Mormon is, without doubt,
for those who are not easily offended (or those who feel that in today’s
climate they have become so desensitised that they need a big boot up the
behind to remember how to be offended again).
The audience reactions are split between laughing out loud and gasps of
faux indignation but above all else, it is a wonderfully safe environment in
which no one will judge you on what you find funny; let rip with the belly laughs, it's good for the soul.
The Book of Mormon is running at
Sunderland Empire until September 14th with tickets still
available. Sunderland Empire is one of
the best theatres in the UK for musical productions and their embrace of BOM
makes it the perfect evening.
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