The Mormons are coming! After a highly successful 2025 season in Sydney, The Book of Mormon is touring the country this year, with a current season in Melbourne and upcoming seasons in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Leading the cast is Sean Johnston as Elder Price and Nick Cox as Elder Cunningham, the two contrasting missionaries sent to convert villagers in rural Uganda.
The Scoop had the chance to sit down with the pair (and with Nick one-one-one for a few questions while Sean juggled interviews) ahead of the Brisbane season, which opens end of July. Sean and Nick talk all things Mormon, including the power of the audience and the importance of timing in comedy. Read the full interview below.
For someone who only knows The Book of Mormon by reputation, what would you tell them about the show?
Nick: Great question. Where to begin? Overall, it’s about two Mormon missionaries who are mismatched from the get-go and are sent on their two-year mission to a place as far away from Salt Lake City as they can possibly be. Chaos and hilarity ensue.
Sean: It’s written by the guys who wrote South Park, so if you knew nothing else about the show, but you know the vibe of South Park, you’d know it’s going to push the boundaries. It’s going to be edgy, it’s going to be fun. The music is by Robert Lopez, who’s a genius writer.
He’s done Avenue Q, Frozen, Coco. He’s one of only a couple of people who are two-time EGOT winners, so he’s got Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys. The show has incredible music, an incredible story and incredible lyrics, so it’s really fun.
Comedy can be harder than drama. What have you learned about timing in this show?
Nick: Firstly, well said. Timing is everything, especially in a comedy. With an audience, when they’re reacting with you, you kind of have to do the math on how the beat can land, especially if they’re responding bigger than some other houses have responded. So, it’s a bit of a dance, but it is crucial, the timing and the setup.
Our director, Jen, said the formula for the show is very simple: one person sets it up, the other delivers, the other sets it up, the other delivers. So, once you rehearse it enough, it feels second nature, but it’s very important to get the timing of it down.
Sean: It’s a humble show in the sense that you can’t have an ego as a performer, because you have to be willing to go with what someone else is doing that might be resonating with the audience. You don’t want to try to fight against that. You need to continue the rhythm and find what’s working on any particular night. I think that’s what’s really cool about the show, and working alongside Nick is great for that, because we get to bounce off each other every night.
And is there one joke that lands every time?
Sean: Yeah, there’s a great joke, which is always the perfect point in the show where we figure out what type of audience we have. It’s a particularly edgy joke, it kind of comes out of nowhere. And you can feel the audience either erupt and laugh and be like, This is crazy. Or they’ll be like, Ooh. Okay, all right. And then we see where it goes from there.
Nick: And from that point, the fun part becomes not that we lost them, we never lose them, but are we going to win them over? And that’s the fun part, as a performer, listening to the audience. You never know what you’re going to get.
You guys have been performing this show now for almost a year. How do you keep it fresh after such a long time?
Nick: It’s like a roller coaster. Sometimes you’re up, and you feel creative, and you can bring that personality on stage. But on the days when I’m feeling more tired than normal, I just think of myself watching shows, being in the audience, and dreaming of nothing more of than to be up here doing it, as cheesy as that sounds. That always gets me back, because people would kill to be up here, and people have spent hard-earned money to come see us.
But I also like to challenge myself. How fresh can I make this? How can I make it look like this is the first time I’m hearing this? What’s a new intention I can bring to it? Another great thing is our resident director will still give us notes and make sure we tighten the bolts to keep it fresh, keep it fun.
Do you find you get that energy from the audience as well?
Nick: Massively. Especially at the end of Hello. You always get, at least with me, and definitely Sean, you always get our best of what we have on that day. But if the audience is laughing and clapping and cheering and with us, and we really feel that they’re with us, there’s a connection that happens.
It’s like plugging in a battery to the phone; you just get charged as you go along, and it’s just going to lift that little bit more. It’s really one of the remarkable things about performing. That synergy between audience and stage. It’s cheesy, and people talk about it all the time, but it is the truth. Like, when the audience is with you, you’re going get the best show that you can possibly get.
So, I always try to encourage people – don’t heckle us – but I always try to encourage people to be vocal and cheer, and let us know when you’re having fun, because it’s a fun show. If you’re having fun, you’re gonna get that, and then some, from us.
Have there been any moments where you’ve struggled to keep a straight face on stage?
Nick: Yes, there have! There was one two weeks ago. No spoilers, but there’s a difference in costume, and I’m standing elevated on, like, a platform, let’s just say, and it’s quiet. It was a Friday night, so people were drinking, and someone did a wolf whistle. And the audience started laughing, and I was trying to say my line, trying not to laugh and keep it together. That was funny and unexpected. And of course, there are all the stage mishaps that happen from time to time.
What has this role taught you as a performer that you’ll carry into future projects?
Nick: Oh man, it’s taught me a lot. Vocally, it’s been the biggest challenge I’ve ever had, so I’ve learned a lot about my voice. I’ve learned there are seven or eight different ways I can sing one note, and it’s really important to find what it is on the night. It’s going to be different from a matinee when you’re more tired, or when you’re more hydrated or caffeinated.
But also from the acting side of things, these types of roles are such a trap, because it’s very easy to go into this character as loud and larger than life, so you can slip into hokey just because you think they’re supposed to be funny. But you’ve still got to tell the truth, and you’ve got to find what makes them unique, what their viewpoint is.
Then all that other embellishment will still come from a place of truth, whether it’s a huge performance, or it’s subtle. So, trust in the process, do the work, and don’t push, even on those days when you feel like you need to. Biggest thing I’ve learned.
You have both studied musical theatre at the University level. Do you have any advice for students who might be undergoing their musical theatre studies right now?
Sean: This is always a bit of a tricker question. Mainly due to the fact that I’m always learning new things that help influence the next decision. I guess my advice would be, control what you can control. So much of this industry is left to the hands of someone else, it’s easy to fixate on all the things you miss out on. Always look to learn and grow from anything you’re doing. Each experience you have in life and in work is something you can lean on at some point in the future.
Nick: Fall in love with the training and the practice. Your training doesn’t stop when you graduate. Learn to love the practice, and all your little goals, whether you hit a new high note that you haven’t hit before, that’s incredible. Keep going, keep practising, and remember to bring yourself to the audition and the story. Each person is unique. We’re all individual, no one’s the same. We’re like snowflakes, but in a good way. So find what makes you unique, keep falling in love with the practice, and keep putting yourself out there. Rejection is not a personal thing.
I love that. And finally, what dream roles or shows are on your bucket list?
Sean: I feel very fortunate to have already had the opportunity to play some incredible roles. I grew up watching Disney so a dream has always been to play a Disney Prince! There are also so many new and exciting roles being made, so being able to originate and create a character would also be a dream.
Nick: When COVID hit, I was just grateful to do anything. We were in Melbourne, so we were locked down for two years. I’d love to do Little Shop. I think Seymour would be a really fun character. The Outsiders looks amazing. Tony from West Side Story, that’s a dream. There’s probably a billion more. I’d also love to do some plays, or film and TV, that’s really something I want to get into.
I’d love to do Les Mis again. I played Marius, Les Mis was my professional debut. I’d love to sing in a more legit style again, that’s what I’ve been trained in. Just to play something that’s the total antithesis of Cunningham, because acting in a versatile manner is the dream.
Sean Johnston and Nick Cox appear in The Book of Mormon in Brisbane from 31 July at the Glasshouse Theatre, QPAC.
It then tours to Perth and Adelaide, see full dates below.
Tickets: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com.au/tickets/brisbane/
Website: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/bookofmormonaunz/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
2026 Australian Tour:
Melbourne on now until 19 July, Princess Theatre
Brisbane from 31 July, Glasshouse Theatre, QPAC
Perth from 20 October, Crown Theatre
Adelaide opens December, Festival Theatre
