In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Saturday 21 Feb 2026, I talk to Nick Tolhurst and Phillipa Edwards about two productions: Cluedo at Comedy Theatre and The Book of Mormon that returns to the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Wednesday, 18 February 2026
The Book of Mormon REVIEW 12 Feb 2026 ***** (5)
MUSICAL THEATRE
Book, Music & Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone
At Princess Theatre until 31 May 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***** (5)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 21 Feb 2026. KH
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| Nick Cox, Sean Johnston, The-Book-of-Mormon_credit_Daniel-Boud |
The Book of Mormon is a wickedly hilarious, irreverent, scandalous and shocking musical that is South Park on steroids. This is a gleeful assault on organised religion – more specifically, Mormonism and its peculiar history, religious text, missionary practices, cultural colonisation and – well – everything, really.
On the stage, the chorus of white-shirted Mormons is relentlessly grinning, terminally perky and super-camp! From the first brazen door knock in the song, Hello!, The Book of Mormon announces its missionary zeal — and this razor-sharp Australian cast answers with blistering comic precision and vocal confidence.
Created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, this award-winning juggernaut remains as outrageously transgressive as ever and this Australian production is polished to a high sheen. The ensemble is a single, sharply pressed organism; every raised eyebrow, every snappy turn and door-slam is performed with military / missionary precision.
The pairing of the stitched up Elder Price (Sean Johnston) and goofy, incompetent Elder Cunningham (Nick Cox) provides stark comic contrast. Johnston’s clarion tenor soars with self-regarding confidence in I Believe, and he balances arrogance with boyish conviction. Cox, by contrast, makes Cunningham’s shambling doctrinal improvisations feel dangerously spontaneous. Cox’s elastic physicality and beautifully judged hesitation turn absurdity into an art form. Their chemistry drives the evening with polished certainty colliding with chaotic invention.
Paris Leveque brings luminous warmth, disarming sincerity and unaffected grace as Nabulungi. As Mafala Hatimbi, Simbarashe Matshe balances dignified authority with dry humour, anchoring the African village scenes with welcome gravity. As Elder McKinley, Tom Struik delivers Turn It Off with bright-eyed repression and tap-dancing precision, and his crisp movement and honeyed tone transform denial into high camp bliss. The audacious ensemble number, Sal Tlay Ka Siti, sung by the African villagers, wickedly and hilariously challenges God’s mercilessness.
Casey Nicholaw’s choreography is deliciously ironic Broadway razzmatazz knowingly deployed for subversive ends and the co-directors, Parker and Nicholaw, put the foot firmly on the accelerator in the production. The pastel optimism of the design combined with those wide smiles and wholesome Americana, makes the show’s detonations of profanity and pageantry even more naughtily delectable.
More than a decade on, the satire still bites. Yet beneath the profanity and pyrotechnics is incisive socio-political commentary and a generous heart. Melbourne roared its approval. This five-star return season proves that outrageous comedy, when executed with this level of craft, still feels thrillingly alive.
By Kate Herbert
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| Cast, The-Book-of-Mormon_credit_Daniel-Boud |
Sean Johnston -Elder Price
Nick Cox - Elder Cunningham
Paris Leveque -Nabulungi
Tom Struik - Elder McKinley
Simbarashe Matshe -Mafala Hatimbi
Augie Tchantcho - The General
Matthew Hamilton- Mission President
Creative Team
Book, Music & Lyrics -Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone
Co-director - Trey Parker
Co-director and choreographer - Casey Nicholaw
Set design -Scott Pask,
Costume design -Ann Roth
Lighting design - Brian MacDevitt
Sound design - Brian Ronan.
Orchestrations -Larry Hochman & Stephen Oremus.
Music direction and vocal arrangements - Stephen Oremus
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| Cast, The-Book-of-Mormon_credit_Daniel-Boud |
Act I
- Hello! Elder Price, Elder Cunningham, Company
- Two by Two Elder Price, Elder Cunningham, Mission President, Company
- You and Me (But Mostly Me) Elder Price, Elder Cunningham
- Hasa Diga Eebowai Mafala Hatimbi, Nabulungi, Ugandan Villagers
- Turn It Off Elder McKinley, Elder Price, Elders
- I Am Here for You Elder Price, Elder Cunningham
- All-American Prophet Elder Price, Joseph Smith, Angel Moroni, Company
- Sal Tlay Ka Siti Nabulungi
- Man Up Elder Price, Elder Cunningham, Nabulungi, Company
Act II
- Making Things Up Again Elder Cunningham
- Spooky Mormon Hell Dream Elder Price, Lucifer, Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer, Johnnie Cochran, Genghis Khan, Company
- I Believe Elder Price
- Baptize Me Nabulungi, Elder Cunningham
- I Am Africa Elder McKinley, Mission President, Elders
- Joseph Smith American Moses Elder Cunningham, Nabulungi, Company
Tomorrow Is a Latter Day Elder Price, Elder Cunningham, Nabulungi, Company
Friday, 13 February 2026
Cluedo REVIEW 10 Feb 2026 **** (4)
THEATRE
Written by Sandy Rustin (additional material by Hunter Foster & Eric Price) based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
At Comedy Theatre until 15 March 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: **** (4)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat. 21 Feb 2026. KH
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| Cast Cluedo: image Jeff Busby |
If you recognise the classic reference to “Colonel Mustard in the library with the lead pipe”, Cluedo the show for you. This production, directed by Luke Joslin, is a riotous, breakneck adaptation of the beloved board game, transformed into a comedic masterpiece that's as witty as it is wickedly entertaining. It's a glorious romp that twists a familiar premise into something utterly fresh, proving that a classic murder mystery can still surprise – especially when it’s this funny.
This cleverly constructed stage play by Sandy Rustin, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, has a narrative much like the game. Six eccentric strangers are invited anonymously to Boddy Manor for a dinner party, only to find themselves embroiled in a rapidly escalating series of murders. From the moment the lights dim, the stage is set for a thrilling, high-paced whodunit that is littered with secrets, lies, deceptions and false identities.
What unfolds is a gleeful parody of an Agatha Christie locked-room murder mystery with a dash of Oscar Wilde’s drawing-room wit and the physical comedy chaos of The Play That Goes Wrong. The versatile cast embodies a collection of outrageously broad comic characters.
We meet the pompous, dim-witted Colonel Mustard (Adam Murphy), the disgraced, lecherous Professor Plum (David James), the seductive, scheming Miss Scarlett (Olivia Deeble), the pious, hysterical Mrs. Peacock (Genevieve Lemon), morbid, mysterious Mrs. White (Rachael Beck), and awkward, anxious Reverend Green (Laurence Boxhall).
Joslin’s tight and deft direction orchestrates the intricate comedic machinery with precision, and each actor delivers rapid-fire dialogue and witty quips with sharp timing, committing wholeheartedly to the fast-moving action and often outrageous slapstick physicality.
The undeniable star turn belongs to Grant Piro as Wadsworth the butler, and his audacious performance is a masterclass in comic technique. His solo replay of the entire convoluted narrative, a breathless recap delivered with lightning speed and flawless character transitions, is a feat of physical and vocal virtuosity that had the audience roaring. Equally delicious is his prolonged death scene, a truly theatrical and utterly hilarious display that showcases his impeccable comedic timing.
Cluedo isn't just a play; it's an experience. It’s a genuinely riotous evening that delights in its own cleverness and the sheer joy of performance. Don't miss this hilariously deadly affair.
By Kate Herbert
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| Cast Cluedo :image Jeff Busby |
Cast List:
- Wadsworth: Grant Piro
- Miss Scarlett: Olivia Deeble
- Mrs. Peacock: Genevieve Lemon
- Professor Plum: David James
- Colonel Mustard: Adam Murphy
- Mrs. White: Rachael Beck
- Reverend Green: Laurence Boxhall
- Yvette: Lib Campbell
- The Cook: Octavia Barron-Martin
- Mr. Boddy & others: Joshua Monaghan
- Bobby & Others; Nat Jobe
- The Ensemble / Understudies:
Creative Team:
- Director: Luke Joslin
- Playwright: Sandy Rustin (additional material by Hunter Foster & Eric Price) based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
- Composer & Sound: Sean Peter
- Set / Costume Designer: James Browne
- Lighting Designer: Jazmine Rizk
- Producer: John Frost & Crossroads
Monday, 9 February 2026
KATE HERBERT-Arts Weekly- 3MBS-SAT07FEB2026
KATE HERBERT-Arts Weekly- 3MBS-SAT07FEB2026
In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Saturday 7 Feb 2026, I talk to Nick Tolhurst and Phillipa Edwards about three productions I saw over the summer:
Shakespeare’s Best Bits by Australian Shakespeare Company in the Botanical Gardens;
Duck Pond by Circa, a circus show based on Swan Lake & The Ugly Duckling;
and Anastasia the musical.
Click this link to listen:
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