THE BOOK OF MORMON AT THE PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE, LONDON
Theatre Run: Continuing
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 21 March (Opening Night Premiere/Press Night)
Reviewed by Kyle Pedley
Hello! My name is Elder Pedley, and I’d like to share with you the most amazing show!
Shockingly predictable and derivative a review opener as that may be, the sentiment is nonetheless completely accurate. The Book of Mormon is indeed nothing short of amazing, and the kind of whirlwind, tour-de-force injection of genius, originality and vigour into the arm of musical theatre that comes along very rarely indeed. Indiscriminatingly adult and plenty high on shock factor without ever being cynical or mean-spirited, and despite it’s breadth of potentially offensive or insulting content, Mormon deftly avoids being crass or overtly vulgar, thanks mostly to the remarkable honesty and truth in the writing throughout. For a show that tackles the likes of the Africa AIDs pandemic, some of the inherent absurdity of the Mormon backstory and murderous warlords with a penchant for female circumcision amongst others, this is no mean feat, and is a testimony to all involved that the message and tone of the show overall is an incredibly positive, celebratory and empowering one.
