‘The Book of Mormon’ (the nine-time Tony Award and four-time Olivier Award-winning Best Musical) is in town at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow, and what a delight it is. A provocative, powerful production which encourages the audience to look beyond its mocking nature and find true meaning in it’s commentary. Be warned, the musical will toe the line, however, it’s clever writing and excellent cast will have you in stitches. I Believe this production is one not to be missed. Escape your everyday and Turn It Off to tune in to this extraordinary performance.
This outrageous musical comedy from the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Bobby Lopez, the Co-writer of Avenue Q and Frozen, follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.
Adam Bailey as Elder Price gives an outstanding performance, his character is well developed, each line and facial expression has been carefully crafted to allow the audience to buy into the character’s journey of discovering compassion, empathy, and abandoning his ego. Bailey’s vocal ability was seemingly effortless; however, unfortunately, the sound levels were unbalanced therefore the band overpowered the vocalist.
Sam Glen as Elder Cunningham was outstanding; his stamina and dedication to the role was truly special to witness. Glen displayed excellent comedic timing and used physical comedy to compliment the quirks of the character. Paired with his excellent vocals, this performance was the stand out of the evening.
Nyah Nish brought a lightness to the character of Nabulungi, through her intonation and physical lightness, Nish highlighted the ideal of hope which the character represents. Nish’s performance was powerful and left an impact on the audience. Nish’s vocal ability was strong, however, I felt the vocals were somewhat reserved at times – not due to a lack of ability, perhaps it was just a character choice.
Tom Bales as Elder McKinley/Moroni was excellent, a truly captivating member of the cast. Bales has extraordinary facial expressions and often drew attention in amongst the cast when a large ensemble was on stage due to his dedication to his characters – extremely captivating and hilarious.
Kirk Patterson as Mafala Hatimbi gave an excellent performance. Patterson’s character was instantly likable and brought great balance to the story in comparison to the heightened characters around him. There was a relatability in his character journey, as his style of acting brought a genuine warmth to the character. This warmth alongside his comedic timing made Patterson an audience favourite from the get-go.
Will Barratt as Price’s Dad, Joseph Smith, and Mission President showed great versatility, despite all three characters being somewhat similar in terms of stereotype. Barratt did well to distinguish these characters using his body language and tone of voice. Barratt lent into the satire of these characters, using his energy to take them to extremes.
Rodney Earl Clarke as General/Satan gave an eerie performance; his status within the performance was portrayed extremely well, and his dominance in the beginning was highlighted not only by the reaction of others but by the way Clarke held himself in the role. At times, Clarke’s diction was slightly poor, which took away from the power of the dialogue. Overall, the character’s journey was excellent.
A strength of this production is the extremely energetic and dedicated cast members; the cast pulls together to ensure every scene is filled with eye-catching storytelling. The large ensemble group, swings and standbys are vital to the success of this production, through their reactions, choreography, vocals and acting ability they ensure that the story is further developed and carefully considered. This cast includes Jay Anderson, Tolu Ayanbadejo, Dan Burstow, Hayden Cable, Benjamin Cameron, Will Carey, Olympia Curry, Kanoumah Diguet, Daniel George-Wright, Daniel David Griffith, Savannah Hall, Alex Hayden, Aaron Levi, Eden Lindsay, Zachary Loonie, Ross McKenna, Bertram Okoro, Jessica Oppong, Jake Reynolds, Kayode Salina, Rory Shafford, Harry Simpson, Elliot Swann, and Harry Winchester.
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone are the creative geniuses behind this multi-award-winning musical. The concept of the musical as a whole is provocative, challenging the audience. The style of writing is extremely clever, blending satire, religious commentary, and human behaviour to exploit the flaws in outdated Western ideals. Although this production is provocative and could easily be interpreted as making a mockery of Mormonism and weaving cultural arrogance throughout, it ultimately sends a message of unity, hope, and resilience. It does not fully dismiss religion in its entirety, it feeds the message that faith can be transformative, a powerful force if rooted in kindness – even if texts aren’t interpreted as literal, the message of unity and kindness can still prevail. The music throughout the production is excellent, each song as catchy as the next, and adding to the hilarity/humanity of the production. At times, the songs can feel a bit repetitive or similar, however, I think this lends to the religious commentary.
Casey Nicholaw has excelled as Co-Director and Choreographer; the transitions throughout the performance are seamless and create a contemporary feel to the musical, which matches the book. The direction of the performance is excellent, with the blocking being carefully considered to create exciting contrasts and blending seamlessly with the choreography. The choreography is excellent, while being impressive, it leaves room for the actors to bring their characters to life, and brings fun into the movement. It is clean while simultaneously allowing space for awkward, funny movement from the elders or playful flair from the Ugandan ensemble.
Scott Pask has put careful consideration into the scenic design, a specific standout was the changing of the skyline in the background, which created a subtle yet noticeable contrast between the lived experience of the Mormon Elders and the Ugandan villagers. Unfortunately, due to the nature of touring productions, the temple design did not quite fit on the stage at the King’s. The hell, dream portal fit well on the stage in comparison to the Ugandan village tapestry – these types of issues are expected when touring such a large, varied set. The transitions were seamless, which was excellent. The lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, accompanied by Brian Ronan’s sound design, aided the production in highlighting the contrast between the two communities. The design of lighting and sound was excellent, adding to the discomfort that the audience was meant to feel. Ann Roth’s costume design was also excellent down to small details such as the jewelry worn by the general, visually extremely clean and complementary to the text.
Overall, this production is thought-provoking and challenges the audience to look beyond face value. The cast is extremely talented and gives a high-energy, powerful performance with excellent acting and vocal ability. The production was slightly let down by some technical elements, such as the band overpowering the vocalists and the set being slightly too large for the stage. A wonderful evening of entertaining which grows on you as you sit with the aftermath, truly digesting it’s message.
Catch this production at The King’s Theatre in Glasgow up until Saturday the 31st of May 2025 using the following link: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-book-of-mormon/kings-theatre-glasgow/calendar/2025-05-16
Theatre Scotland 
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