Occasionally I’m left speechless by a performance. This is not the case with this show. In fact it is completely the opposite to how I’m feeling. It’s been two days now and I still can’t stop the occasional laugh that brews up within me when I think back to Tuesday night’s hilarious performance.
It was utterly fantastic.
I can’t explain to you how much I enjoyed this show, but heck I’m going to try. Here’s hoping the Latter Day Saints help me out a bit.
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a stone’s throw away from Leicester Square as well as lovely restaurant Muriel’s Kitchen, which is a great place to stop off before the show. Check out my blog on it. It’s also opposite The Comedy Club, which I hope to check out soon!
The Book of Mormon is an ingenious production brought to us by the creators of South Park; Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. It’s a musical religious satire piece that features two newly graduated Mormon missionaries, one, Elder Price whom believes his calling is in the magical place of Orlando and the other, Elder Cunningham who is a compulsive liar. A fantastic mix, which results in them being dispatched to a remote village in Uganda which is being terrorised by the exceedingly frightening General Butt-Fucking-Naked. A truly despicable human being who wears some wonderful cowboys boots alongside two lots of machine gun bullets wrapped around his upper half. Robbed by the General and made fun of by the locals the two missionaries meet the other missionaries who explain the with the wonderful help of Elder McKinley that they need to: “squash,” their feelings. The song Turn It Off is fabulous display of singing skill, humorous acting, in beat tap dancing, and some very pink waistcoats.
As Elder Price makes it his mission to leave, he is caught in a spooky Mormon hell dream featuring Hitler, Genghis Khan, Jeffery Dahmer and Johnnie Cochran as well as some rather fantastic devil onesies. When he wakes he realises that he cannot leave his companion, Rule 72, and he rushes back to try and help Elder Cunningham. Only to discover Elder Cunningham has, through the medium of imagination, help from the Hobbits and compulsive lying baptised all the villagers without Price and is now the hotshot of the Mormon missionaries.
As the Mormon President comes to celebrate the villagers being baptised all the truth comes out, through a very entertaining reenactment of the Mormon history with Elder Cunningham’s very interesting embellishments. Of course, the realisation that it was all a lie leaves the Ugandan missionaries ex-communicated from the Mormon church, and pretty stuck in the mud. Until they realise the they don’t need the Mormons, they just need each other. As with traditional soppy ending theatre performances it all ends happily, but with this musical it also ends with you laughing your socks off, and tears falling in a good way.
There are three cast members in particular who are just fantastic in their roles. Of course two of them are the main characters.
Nic Rouleau as Elder Price is simply the best arrogant Mormon ever. He has the facial expressions that just make you cripple with laughter, and a voice that is utterly awesome.
Brian Sears as Elder Cunningham, just thinking about him makes me laugh. There is so much political incorrectness with this character but it’s not offensive, it hugely funny and Brian is just one of kind in this role. The specialness of him is magic.
Stephen Ashfield as Elder McKinley, without a doubt is my favourite. I can’t get enough of his suppression of his feelings for men, whilst simultaneously being the campiest and most feminine character. He’s entertainment factor is stunning.
Another mention should go to Gabrielle Brooks who was Nabulungi in the performance I went to see, her voice is smooth like silk and she has a wonderful range although sometimes I felt that she wasn’t completely comfortable in the role BUT and it is a big but that was only every now and then. As an understudy she was still incredible, and secretly I hope she gets more chance to play this role so she can come into her own more and more.
GO AND SEE THIS NOW! I’ve helpful attached the website here, so you can go and book your tickets.
For more information on The Prince of Wales Theatre click here.
Smile Sessions 