★★★★½
The arrival of The Book of Mormon brings one of musical theatre’s biggest comedy hits back to Brisbane. The first major touring musical to grace the city’s sparkling new Glasshouse Theatre, it remains as provocative as it is popular more than a decade after its Broadway debut.
Anyone who has somehow escaped the phenomenon over the past decade should know what they’re in for. Created by South Park masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone alongside Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez, The Book of Mormon follows two mismatched Mormon missionaries sent from Salt Lake City to Uganda, where their earnest optimism collides with the harsh realities of village life.
What unfolds is an audacious satire of organised religion, blind faith and Western exceptionalism, wrapped in a catchy, Tony Award-winning score.
The Glasshouse Theatre makes a great first impression. From the ‘gold’ carpet spilling onto the street to the expansive foyer overlooking the Brisbane Wheel, the venue is purpose-built for blockbuster musicals. Practical touches, including generous amenities and excellent sight lines throughout the auditorium, ensure the experience is as enjoyable off stage as it is on.
Leading the cast as the ambitious Elder Price, Queensland Con alum and Toowoomba local Sean Johnston has all the qualities of a classic leading man. His soaring tenor vocals are matched by an assured stage presence, while his earnest belief in Price’s lofty aspirations allows the satire to emerge naturally.
Johnston never overplays the comedy. Instead he finds humour in the character’s unwavering confidence, carefully charting his journey from self-assured missionary to someone forced to confront his own beliefs.
Johnston is in particularly fine form during Orlando, and delivers a crisp rendition of I Believe that is sure to remain lodged in audiences’ heads as they leave the theatre.
Opposite him, Nick Cox is superb as the socially awkward Elder Cunningham. With his dishevelled Mormon attire, glasses that magnify his eyes and boundless nervous energy, Cox perfectly captures the lovable chaos of a man hopelessly out of his depth.
Yet beneath the comedy lies a genuine warmth that makes Cunningham impossible not to root for. His powerhouse performance of Man Up closes Act One with infectious rock-star energy. His uncanny embodiment of Bono during I Am Africa is a comic highlight.
Together, Johnston and Cox form a beautifully balanced partnership. Their contrasting personalities drive both the show’s biggest laughs and its unexpectedly poignant moments.
The emotional heart of the production belongs to Paris Leveque as Nabulungi. In an impressive professional stage debut, Leveque balances the character’s quiet optimism with a resilience born of hardship.
Her beautifully sung Sal Tlay Ka Siti (aka Salt Lake City) captures Nabulungi’s yearning for a brighter future with sincerity and grace. Her delightful chemistry with Nick Cox makes Baptize Me one of the evening’s sweetest moments.
By the time she reaches Hasa Diga Eebowai (Reprise), Leveque lays bare the devastation of shattered dreams with such honesty that the comedy momentarily gives way to genuine pathos. In doing so, she ensures Nabulungi is never reduced to a caricature, instead imbuing her with intelligence, dignity and unwavering hope.
The ensemble is every bit as polished as the principals, with the Mormon missionaries delivering some of the musical’s most memorable moments. Their opening number, Hello!, is joyous, with every perfectly timed knock at the front door and every deadpan grin drawing laughter from the packed opening-night audience.
An Act One highlight includes Turn It Off, led by Luke Haberecht’s delightful Elder McKinley. The brilliantly choreographed showstopper, complete with dazzling tap routines and a lightning-fast costume transformation, is executed with sharp comic timing.
The momentum continues into Act Two with Spooky Mormon Hell Dream, a gloriously over-the-top spectacle that throws everything at the audience. Bursting with manic energy and larger-than-life theatricality, it also features a particularly timely villain update that earns some of the evening’s biggest laughs.
The ensemble playing the Ugandan villagers deliver powerhouse vocals with wholehearted commitment. While many of the script’s broadest jokes are directed their way, the cast consistently grounds the material with authenticity, creating a sense of community that elevates the story beyond its satire.
One minor technical quibble on opening night was the sound mix. At times, the band overpowered the singers, softening some of the rapid-fire lyrics. In a show where so much of the comedy depends on every punchline landing, a slight rebalance would sharpen an already polished production.
The Book of Mormon has always been provocative, and much of its humour relies on audiences recognising the ideas and assumptions it is satirising. Seven years after first seeing the show, I found myself questioning whether some of that satire still lands with the same clarity.
While the musical pokes fun at organised religion as much as Western perceptions of Africa, certain references now feel more confronting than they once did.
Judging by the opening-night audience, many of the jokes continue to earn huge laughs. Yet for me, some moments prompted reflection more than laughter. Whether that shift says more about the changing cultural landscape or my own perspective is difficult to disentangle, but it made revisiting the musical a markedly different experience from my first viewing in 2019.
What hasn’t changed is the extraordinary commitment of this Australian company, whose performances consistently find humanity beneath the musical’s broad satire. Whether audiences leave roaring with laughter or wrestling with its ideas, this exceptional cast gives The Book of Mormon everything it’s got.
The Book of Mormon runs in Brisbane to 4 October 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:
Brisbane on now to 4 October, Glasshouse Theatre, QPAC
Perth from 20 October, Crown Theatre
Adelaide from 19 December, Festival Theatre
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