The Dancing Mormons Reflect the American Dream

Folketeateret delivers a stylish and tight version of The Book of Mormon.

In The Book of Mormon, we follow the ideal Mormon Elder Price who is going out on a mission. He is placed with the eccentric Mormon Elder Cunningham and together they must spread the message to the “Latter-day Saints” in a small village in Uganda. A collision between worlds soon occurs when the smooth, American Mormons try to convert a village that is characterized by corruption, poverty and AIDS. The musical uses blasphemous jokes and an exoticization of the Ugandans, but directs just as much of the humor at American complacency. 

The performances are twin sisters 

Broadway musicals are not performances with their own artistic concepts. They often have strict copyright laws to protect the material. Having seen both the London and Oslo versions of The Book of Mormon, it is striking how little separates them. The timing is identical, the choreography is similar and the jokes land in the same way. In London, Elon Musk had been written into the Mormons' hellish dream along with Hitler and they had certainly done so in Norway too. Even though the versions are similar, it is clear which one is more accurate. 

A glossy picture

In terms of scenography, Norway already surpasses the West End version. Both shows use a screen to project the scenography, but in Norway they make better use of the technology. The images shine in brighter colors and have a sense of space that draws the audience into the picture. In London, I sat on a balcony and experienced the images as two-dimensional. The stage felt flat and did not reach out in the same way as in Norway. I think it is because they had chosen a duller color combination in their stills. This simple move made the expression more “ordinary”. In Oslo, the stage looks like a shiny glossy picture. It oozes exclusivity and style that dresses the red carpet on the way to the performance.

Hyper-American

The Norwegian actors nail the polished look required to be an “exemplary Mormon”. Jakob Schøyen Andersen, who plays Elder Price, has an orange undertone to his skin and a gleaming white smile. The charisma is less about faith and more about being a flawless Mormon. Anyone can succeed if they work hard, which is why the Mormons trip around the stage with tight butts, clean clothes and smooth lips, ready for the next assignment. The Norwegian team plays on this hyper-American idea and it suits the performance. The idea is already in the script, but the Folketeateret enhances it with costumes and shiny set design. In London, the actor behind Elder Price could not match the advertising charisma of Jakob Schøyen Andersen. 

A Mormon on steroids

I have met a couple of Mormons throughout and they have looked completely ordinary. Nicely dressed, but no Barbie or Ken look. The Norwegian actors are anything but realistic Mormons and it gives the show an extra layer of irony that the West End lacks. The clean, conservative and American Mormon look is just an outer shell of the show. The fixation these young Mormons have on varnishing and polishing their own radiance is an attempt to cover up everything that is hidden behind. It is a classic stereotype that scared homosexuals hide behind religion and this is addressed in the show. Elder McKinley, played by Jon Sindre Fjellvang, dresses in the Mormon uniform, but with his eccentric hip movements he makes the suit look quite feminine. In today's political climate, the desire to live up to the "American dream" is almost unattainable. For many, the dream is dead and the image of America has been replaced with Donald Trump's many iconic quotes, such as "grab them by the pussy". Yet Trump won the majority because many believed in his promises to solve the immigration problems and improve the economy. The Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, received a revelation that Mormons had to stay away from hot drinks, but was also told by God that Mormons expect eternal life after death. Both Americans and Mormons are willing to tolerate controversial and humorous statements in the belief that something better awaits. The exaggerated American expression makes it easier to see how absurd the dream of a better life can be and adds an important satirical element. 

Same performance twice 

The Book of Mormon is written by the creators of South Park and is a musical where we largely laugh at and not with the characters. A lot has changed in both the Thames and the Akerselva since the South Park creators wrote the musical in 2011. When I had seen the performance twice, I realized that the script is not so borderline that I could laugh as much the second time. Comedy is often strong when it hits something unsaid, this musical has now been playing regularly since 2013 in London.  

We are already familiar with the concept. The show plays on shocking by being borderline, such as by mentioning child rape. This satirical form has become very trendy in recent years. Through Gauteshow and Nytt på nytt, we have already been introduced to humor that explores what is allowed to be said. In social media, you have also been given the opportunity to be anonymous and this means that the boundaries of what we can say to each other have been expanded even further. The reason I didn't laugh was not because the show was too controversial, but because it doesn't say anything new. Comedy, which once broke boundaries, is now a big part of the entertainment industry. 

The Book of Mormon is still highly recommended. Even though the laughs aren't surprising, the performance is impossible not to laugh at.