Bristol Hippodrome Theatre Review: The Book of Mormon
Summary
Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 21 October - Saturday 08 November
Where to see it: Bristol Hippodrome
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes (including interval)
Keywords: Risqué, exuberant, satirical
Photography by Paul Coltas
Review
Last night, I attended the UK touring production of The Book of Mormon at the Bristol Hippodrome. The production is widely described as ‘the funniest musical of all time’. The show is wonderfully exuberant, unapologetically ‘over the top’ and packed with full and vivid characters.
The Book of Mormon has been coming to life on stage since 2011 and is renowned around the world. The musical has held long-standing slots on Broadway and the West End, it has been performed internationally and it is now in the throes of the second UK tour. Even if you haven’t been to see the show, this musical is a household name. The writers of the musical also went wrote the long-running TV show, South Park. If you have seen (or merely know of) the Book of Mormon and South Park then that probably won’t surprise you.
At the outset of the show, we are introduced to our two young missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham. As the characters learn of their assignment to Uganda, the audience learns that the two men are chalk and cheese…apples and oranges…day and night! Price is bright-eyed, ambitious and savvy. Cunningham is just happy to be there.
On the night I attended, Elder Price was played by Daniel George-Wright, stepping into the lead as understudy. Despite this being only the second show in the Bristol run, George-Wright was confident in the role and vocally strong. His chemistry with his partner-in-crime, Elder Cunningham (portrayed by Sam Glen), was one of the highlights of the night. The two actors played off each other seamlessly. When the musical first premiered on Broadway, Cunningham was portrayed by none other than Josh Gad. Even now, 14 years on, it is clear that Gad’s unique energy lives on within the role.
Photography by Paul Coltas
The story is littered with satire and is, of course, ‘laugh-out-loud’ funny. However, the roar of laughter from the audience typically came after being blindsided by sharp, dark and relentless jokes. The show cleverly subverts comedic expectations in that it is nye on impossible to predict the set up or the next one-liner. The dark humour is used to portray dark themes, yet the show does not take itself too seriously. Whilst raucously funny, many of the jokes rely upon the ‘shock factor’. There is no holding back with this one – I don’t know whether there is an official age rating, but it certainly feels 18+!
Story and humour aside, the set design is among the best I have ever seen in a touring production. The audience follows along the journey from Salt Lake City to a small Ugandan village and the seamless transitioning between set pieces is a key component of our immersion. This is not a production which has taken the easy route and chosen to have a mere one or two sets. Through set dress alone, we see Utah, Florida, interior airport, the exterior of Ugandan villages, interior of the missionaries’ accommodation, and even spooky Mormon hell…
Whilst I have highlighted our two leads, all cast members gave an incredible performance. Nyah Nish gives a fantastic portrayal of Nabalungi, a curious local villager. She is the catalyst for much of the ‘heart’ within the story which is particularly prevalent in the second Act. This production has a large ensemble and the need for the same soon becomes obvious. This is a very physically demanding performance. Often, half of the ensemble are on stage at one time delivering a ‘larger than life’ musical number, and the other half filter in immediately as it ends ready to delve into witty dialogue.
Of course, I must mention the musical numbers. It is difficult to isolate any particular songs as firm favourites as each one has energy, soul, and flamboyance. However, I can say that certain songs were playing on repeat in my head as I walked home from the theatre last night…Two particularly notable numbers were “Turn It Off” (a hilarious crowd-pleaser) and “Hello!” (both the opening and closing number which packs a real punch when it returns for the reprise).
Now, in terms of overall impressions, I really haven’t seen anything quite like this before. It is so utterly bizarre and memorable. Would you believe me if I said that Yoda had a cameo?! The show is intentionally over-the-top, it takes risks and many of those pay off. There is, perhaps, a need to leave your preconceptions at the door and it might be said that some of the brash humour is less suited to audiences in 2025. Nevertheless, every audience member is likely to have an unforgettable night as they watch the, somewhat uncomfortable, act of balancing bravado with vulnerability.
The Book of Mormon will be showing at the Bristol Hippodrome until 08 November 2025!
Standout Quote or Moment: The performance of Spooky Mormon Hell Dream!
Similar Plays: I genuinely cannot think of anything quite like this
Last Impression: Unapologetically bizarre and uncomfortably funny, leaving lots of food for thought!