The Book Of Mormon – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre

By Hazel Davis, November 2025

“I wish you were a bit older then I could take you to see The Book of Mormon,” I said to my 12-year-old last year. “Oh I listen to the soundtrack ALL the time,” she said. I should have been horrified, given that one of the songs, ‘Hasa Diga Eebowai’, translates as F**k You God (and that’s not the half of it) but – you know what? – I’d seen the show before and I wasn’t.

The Book of Mormon is one of those shows which should be offensive and yet, as I looked around the room during the standing ovation (of course) at the Leeds Grand earlier this week, I was reminded that it’s all heart.

The show’s premise, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last ten years, is that Elders Price and Cunningham are paired up and sent to Uganda, to Elder Price’s horror (he really wants to go to Orlando) to spread the word of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. While there, they do actually manage to spread the word via some, let’s just say, unconventional means. Those means involve a LOT of the very worst swear words, some banging songs and bonkers choreography.

“Despotic general”

And yet… it’s totally fine. The Book of Mormon, despite having characters called General B*ttf**cking Naked, songs about kicking God in the privates and a lot of talk of “laying” with frogs, there is nothing offensive about this show. I mean, sure, there are a couple of inept Mormons who can’t do their job properly, but apart from that – oh and the despotic General – most of the characters are broadly well-meaning.

In this performance, Said General was played beautifully by Sackie Osakonor, by turns genuinely terrifying and ridiculous, with Yul Brinner attitude. Adam Bailey and Sam Glenn held their own hilariously as Elders Price and Cunningham, their (eventual) bromance totally believable. I had some reservations about Bailey’s restrained and initially nasal performance at first but I warmed to him as he warmed up and grew into the role.

Glenn could have possibly done a bit more physically with the ludicrousness of man-baby Cunningham but he was a loveable antihero nonetheless and we really rooted for him when he “baptised”. Nabulungi (by turns known as Hotbonjovi, Neutrogena, Nigel Farage and Necrophilia by the incomers) was played by an understated Nyah Nish with real warmth and hot-diggity vocals.

“Joy and exuberance”

Standout songs (and they’re all total bangers) were ‘Turn It Off’ (“When you start to get confused, because of thoughts in your head, don’t feel those feelings! Hold them in instead”) and ‘Hasa Diga Eebowai’ (we already know some of the words to that). All were delivered with joy and exuberance. The pinnacle was, of course,’ Spooky Mormon Hell Dream’, with special guest appearances from Jeffrey Dahmer, Hitler, Genghis Khan and OJ attorney Johnnie Cochran.

Far from being a joyful display of offensive lyrics and ludicrous stereotypes, The Book of Mormon is a clever observation of colonialism and gender as well as a thoughtful commentary on organised religion, ignorance and humanity. Plus some really – really! – good tunes.

The Book Of Mormon is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 29th November

Hazel Davis( Writer )

Hazel Davis lives in West Yorkshire and has been a journalist for most of the UK national newspapers and many magazines, cutting her teeth on a classical music magazine. She’s the lead singer in a country band (Mustard County), plays trumpet in a wind band and big band and cornet in a brass band. When she’s not playing music or writing about it, she’s usually thinking about it.

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