There are nights in the theatre when the anticipation seems to fizz with mischief and the promise of something unforgettable. The current season of The Book of Mormon at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre is exactly that kind of night – an outrageously funny, razor-sharp and unexpectedly big-hearted triumph that leaves the audience in raptures.
Winner of nine Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the Grammy® for Best Musical Theatre Album, this global phenomenon returns to Melbourne in glorious form. With book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone, the show is a masterclass in satirical precision and showbiz flair.
Co-directed by Casey Nicholaw and Parker, and choreographed with dazzling snap, crackle and jazz hands by Nicholaw, this production sparkles from the first doorbell ring to the final joyous curtain call. Full credit must also go to resident director Eric Giancola and associate choreographer Emma Delmenico-Smith for maintaining such spritely staging – the show pulses with energy.
At its centre are two mismatched missionaries whose earnest optimism collides hilariously with reality. Sean Johnston’s Elder Price is gloriously self-assured, his bright tenor soaring with Broadway polish while revealing delicious cracks in the façade. Opposite him, Nick Cox’s Elder Cunningham is a comic tour de force complete with boundless imagination and perfectly timed chaos. Together, their chemistry is electric.
Paris Leveque brings warmth and luminous sincerity to Nabulungi, grounding satire with genuine heart. Tom Struik’s Elder McKinley is a comic standout, delivering repression and pep with scene-stealing precision. Simbarashe Matshe lends commanding presence to Mafala Hatimbi, while Augie Tchantcho – reprising his role as The General – is both menacing and darkly hilarious. Matthew Hamilton rounds out the principal cast with polished authority as Mission President. It is a stellar ensemble across the board, each performer matching vocal prowess with razor-sharp comic instincts.
Visually, the production is a feast. Three-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask’s set design moves seamlessly from missionary training grounds and other locations to a vividly realised Ugandan village. Ann Roth’s costumes are a study in contrast and character, while Brian MacDevitt’s lighting adds both Broadway sheen and dramatic punch. Brian Ronan’s crisp sound design ensures every lyric, however gasp-inducing, lands perfectly. Under the baton of music director Hayden Barltrop, the band delivers a brassy, buoyant score with infectious verve.
What makes The Book of Mormon endure is not simply its audacity, though it has that in abundance, but its craft. Beneath the outrageous humour lies a brilliantly structured musical with classic show-tune architecture and an oddly touching belief in the power of storytelling. It skewers, it shocks, it pushes boundaries, and then, somehow, it sends you out smiling.
Fresh, fearless and firing on all cylinders, The Book of Mormon remains a musical comedy treat – bold, brilliant and blissfully profane. Whether it’s your first mission or a return visit, this production is not to be missed.
The Book of Mormon
Princess Theatre, Spring Street, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 12 February 2026
Season continues to 31 May 2026
Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au
Following the Melbourne season, The Book of Mormon will play the Glasshouse Theatre – QPAC, Brisbane from 31 July 2026. For more information, visit: www.thebookofmormonmusical.com.au for details.
Images: The Book of Mormon (Australian Company) – photo by Daniel Boud | Nick Cox as Elder Cunningham and Sean Johnston as Elder Price – photo by Daniel Boud | The Book of Mormon (Australian Company) – photo by Daniel Boud