The brainchild of South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon stops at The Alhambra where Leo Owen caught the show

As followers of Stone and Parker’s work might expect, The Book of Mormon isn’t afraid to offend, indiscriminately ridiculing and eliciting laughs from occasionally uncomfortable places. Opening song “Hello!” eases the audience in, giving some back history to the Mormon religion and introducing the protagonists Elder Kevin Price (Adam Bailey) and Elder Arnold Cunningham (Sam Glen). Even here, Stone and Parker’s infamous South Park timbre makes an appearance with Jesus saying “You guys”.

Price and Cunningham await news of their “mission location”, paired up as an unlikely duo, setting up the bromance at the core of this show. “Hello!” is a slickly choreographed number with cast wearing matching outfits and permagrins as they press doorbells, following a familiar script: “This book will change your life.”

Stone and Parker team up with Avenue Q writer, Robert Lopez, and utilise too their previous experience working in musical film on Cannibal! The Musical and Team America: World Police to ensure songs are not just funny but also catchy and helping to progress the story. There are some clever segues between lyrics and Casey Nicholaw’s choreography adds to the hilarity.

Arriving in Africa, discordant music accompanies the sight of a dead donkey being dragged across the stage as the locals sing “Hasa Diga Eebowai". The most boundary pushing song, it introduces the resistance Cunningham and Price face as the locals dance with middle fingers firmly up. “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” is reminiscent of a scene from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and includes some amusing cameos. “Turn it off” is a lively tune about repression while “Man Up" boasts pelvic thrusts aplenty and akin to "Baptize Me" is heavy in sexual innuendo. Like "I Believe", “Sal Tlay Ka Siti" has superb vocals with Nabulungi (a phenomenal debut from Nyah Nish) delivering a belter, optimistically looking for her paradise.

Thirteen years after it first debut and now on its second UK tour, The Book of Mormon remains just as entertaining, helped by a unanimously accomplished cast, versatile set and tight scripting. It is easy to see why it’s the 12th longest-running Broadway show. Admirers of Parker and Stone or fans of Avenue Q are in for a real treat, while anyone attending unfamiliar with this work, might get a shock.

Book of Mormon shows November 5-23 2024 at The Alhambra before continuing its UK tour: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com/