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We were first told to see The Book of Mormon 9.5 years ago while on a trip to Amsterdam, in that same trip, this same person had recommended us to visit Amsterdam in the spring. It was kind of surreal that in the same year we got to see Amsterdam in the spring, we also got to finally get the chance at Theatre Royal Nottingham, where it’s running until 28th June.

This is one of those shows where it’s good to go in knowing nothing. The less you expect, the more outrageous and entertaining it becomes. However, it’s important to say that if you’re easily offended, this probably won’t be your thing.

The humour is wildly satirical, deeply irreverent, and completely unapologetic. It takes direct shots at religion, missionary culture, and Africa/Ugandan toxic stereotypes, in a way that is very much in the spirit of South Park — incredibly silly, often jaw-droppingly bold, and definitely not politically correct, the truly religious or for the feint hearted. But for those who enjoy that kind of humour, it’s hard not to be in hysterics.

The cast is incredible across the board. Sam Glen as Elder Cunningham is a real standout. He’s brilliantly funny, full of manic energy, and captures the awkward charm of the character perfectly. His performance is strongly reminiscent of Josh Gad, who originally played the role in delivery.

Adam Bailey gives a fantastic performance as Elder Price. He manages to balance slick confidence with gradually unraveling delusion and doubt, he shows a clear and compelling character arc and his facial expressions are everything. His vocals are strong and his comedic timing is spot on.

Tom Bales as Elder McKinley is another highlight. His performance, “Turn It Off,” was executed flawlessly and brought lots of laughs from the audience. The juxtaposition of cheerful camp musical theatre energy with deeply repressed emotions was hard not to crack up at. He nailed the flamboyant yet deeply unsettled at clearly being someone who is deeply closeted and trying desperately to live according to a system that would deny him.

The ensemble is tight, energetic, and superb. Every cast member contributes uniformed high-energy. It’s all-singing and all-dancing throughout and every member brought the heat. The choreography is sharp and full of comic detail, and the energy never drops for a second. I could name each one but Jay Anderson (swing) and Daniel David Griffith (ensemble) both were standout.

The musical numbers are all phenomenal. “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” was brilliant. But it’s “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” which was visually and musically wild, and an absolute standout. The entire score is catchy, clever, and full of tongue-in-cheek nods to traditional musical theatre. In many ways, it parodies the genre while celebrating it at the same time.

The show has built a massive following over the years, and having seen it now, it’s easy to understand why. But saying that, it’s also obvious to see why it’s so controversial and has so many haters too!

It’s smart, ridiculous, sharp-edged and packed with unforgettable moments. This is a show that more than lives up to the hype. If you’ve been thinking about seeing it, now’s the time. We’re just glad we finally ticked it off the list. It was certainly well worth the wait.