Strike the church bells! The Mormons are back!
Last night, Sydney’s Capitol Theatre was transformed into Australia’s largest and most wildly inappropriate church imaginable. Complete with jazz hands, an F-bomb (or thirty), and the campest group of Elders you’ve ever seen, The Book of Mormon is a show I will happily get on my knees for.
After a star-studded red-carpet event, the Capitol Theatre erupted with irreverent laughter from its packed pews, celebrating the show’s return after a seven-year Australian absence. With South Park’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker teaming up with Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, Frozen), it’s no surprise the show’s 2011 Broadway debut earned 14 Tony Award nominations and nine wins.
Now, I’m no stranger to seeing my favourite musicals over and over again, and The Book of Mormon is no exception. Iconically, this will be my fifth time seeing the show. It still holds strong contention in my top five favourite musicals of all time; a testament to the sheer genius of a script that balances profanity and profundity with effortless precision. It remains as sharp, shocking, and side-splittingly hilarious as ever.
The fresh, dynamic cast of this Australian tour delivers performances nothing short of extraordinary. Remarkably, many were stepping into professional theatre (or leading roles) for the very first time. It is an astonishing feat given the polish, precision, and sheer brilliance on display.
Sean Johnston’s Elder Price is a study in comedic precision. His portrayal of the uptight, self-absorbed missionary with a messiah complex is hilariously spot-on. Every smug smile and strained gesture perfectly encapsulate that “pole-up-the-arse” rigidity we’ve come to love from Elder Price. His Act One solo, I Believe, soars with vocal strength and razor-sharp comedic timing that left the audience roaring with laughter.
The evening belonged, however, without question, to Nick Cox as Elder Cunningham. An American abroad, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Cox delivers the most riotously funny interpretation of Elder Cunningham I have ever seen. His over-the-top desperation to please, coupled with an almost childlike vulnerability, creates a character that is equal parts absurd and endearing. Every line delivery, every awkward fidget, every gleefully fabricated parable is a masterclass in comic acting. It’s a rare joy to see a performance that feels definitive – but Cox may have set the bar.
Paris Leveque, making her professional debut as Nabulungi, is luminous. From her first note, her voice carries with clarity and warmth. Her acting resonates a subtlety that grounds the outrageousness around her. Her Sal Tlay Ka Siti is tender, yet tinged with optimism, a showstopper that earned heartfelt applause.
Opposite her, Simbarashe Matshe’s Mafala Hatimbi is a delight – a perfectly pitched blend of genial humour and paternal charm.
Then there is Tom Struik, whose Elder McKinley is a camp explosion of repressed flamboyance and wide-eyed innocence. His delivery of Turn It Off is a showstopping spectacle; a tap-dancing, over-the-top, jazz-hands-filled roar that had the entire theatre howling with laughter and marvelling at his charisma.
In a technical sense, The Book of Mormon remains as dazzling as its writing. Brian MacDevitt’s lighting design illuminates the action with elegance, shifting from the glaring brightness of Orlando, Florida to the dusty hues of Uganda with seamless artistry.
Ann Roth’s costumes are another triumph, meticulously detailed from the crisp missionary whites to the flood of colour in Ugandan attire. Scott Pask’s scenic design deserves its own ovation. His sets don’t just frame the story; they act as silent narrators, breathing life into each scene, whether it’s the pastel perfection of Mormon America or the earthy textures of a remote African village.
This Australian production comes to us courtesy of Suzanne Jones of Jones Theatrical Group, a name synonymous with artistic excellence. My partner and I were lucky enough to score invites to the lavish opening-night afterparty, where we had the privilege of speaking to Suzanne’s niece (an accomplished businesswoman in her own right) about her extraordinary career. Suzanne’s passion for theatre runs as deep as her unerring eye for talent, and The Book of Mormon is yet another glittering jewel in her crown.
If you haven’t seen The Book of Mormon before, now is the time to repent… by booking a ticket. And if, like me, you’ve seen it before, trust me when I say: it’s even better the fifth time around. Crude, clever, and unexpectedly profound, this is musical theatre at its most daring. It doesn’t just make you laugh; it makes you laugh at the things you didn’t even know you believed.
While the definition of the show’s most beloved song, Hasa Diga Eebowai might not be printable here, there is one thing I can definitely print in ink. The Book of Mormon is the funniest, filthiest, and most gloriously fearless musical ever to hit the Australian stage. And that’s the gospel truth.
The Book of Mormon runs to 30 November at the Capitol Theatre Sydney, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket.
Tickets: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com.au/tickets/sydney/
Website: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/bookofmormonaunz/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
