Characters who appear in the musical The Book of Mormon. Unmarked spoilers ahead.
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Elder Price
Elder Kevin Price
Andrew Rannells as Elder Price
Elder Kevin Price is the poster boy for Mormonism — idealistic, devoted to Heavenly Father, and ready to go out on his mission and do something incredible. Unfortunately, rather than his dream location of Orlando, he's sent to Uganda with a fellow missionary who's never actually read the holy book they're expected to preach. While devout and earnest, Price has an incredibly inflated sense of self-importance and a huge ego, which puts him in a rough spot when his faith is challenged.- The Ace: Deconstructed. Price is initially described as "the smartest, best, most deserving Elder the Center has ever seen" by his fellow Elders. This quickly begins to fall apart upon arrival in Uganda, as while Price is earnest about his faith, he's also never faced anything like the ravaged Ugandan countryside. As such, once he faces a challenge outside of a very controlled environment that he can't deal with, Price's issues with his faith and his egotism come to the forefront in a really bad way.
- Ambiguously Gay: The extent of this varies depending on the production, but this is one interpretation of the character. Price has no canon love interest, and while he denies having gay thoughts to Elder McKinley, the relationship between the two gets increasingly suggestive in most productions as the cast members become aware of the popularity of the pairing. This is particularly evident in "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", which has always featured McKinley as one of the demons tormenting Price; some productions have them make out. It's also worth noting that "Turn It Off" was originally Price's song
, but this was changed due to fear that this would be too cliche. Price's "even if we break the rules" line delivered while looking straight at McKinley could be taken as Maybe Ever After. - Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: In "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", he claims to be worse than Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Adolf Hitler because he left his mission companion. Hitler is scandalized.
- Ass Shove: On the receiving end of one from General Butt-Fucking Naked part way through Act II. With his own copy of the Book of Mormon, no less.
- Black Comedy Rape: The Ass Shove Price gets from General Butt-Fucking-Naked shoving the Book of Mormon up Price's ass is played for laughs. The doctor who removes the book says it's "something incredible" that he's never seen before.
- Break the Haughty: His entire character arc consists of breaking his idealistic spirit into something much more pragmatic. Price starts off thinking that he'll be the savior of not just his mission, but the entire Mormon faith and the whole human race. The harshness of life in Uganda and the ineffectiveness of his efforts quickly show Price that he's hopelessly out of his league. As his easrnest attempts consistently fail, Price is forced to concede a few things (especially after Cunningham earlier did just that to great success).
- Broken Ace: Starts showing signs of this upon arrival in Uganda when he sees how bad things are, which gets worse when he finds out that the Ugandan mission hasn't converted anyone yet. By Act II, this has firmly set in as Price has a Crisis of Faith.
- Butt-Monkey: Turns into one pretty quickly, spending most of the show undergoing increasingly horrible suffering, culminating in getting his own copy of the Book of Mormon shoved up his ass. This is all Played for Laughs, and it's part of his Character Development where he learns about seeing the forest for the trees when it comes to religion.
- Classical Anti-Hero: Elder Price genuinely means well, but he's so naive and foolhardy that he can't get the time of day, much less get what he wants to come to pass. Price has convinced himself that he'll do "something incredible" that will make him the savior of all mankind, but his earnest attempts at spreading the Book of Mormon go nowhere, and he says Screw This, I'm Outta Here almost as soon as he sees how bad things really are in Uganda. When even that goes nowhere, Price is forced to eat a slice of Humble Pie to overcome his flaws and hindrances to accomplish his goals.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: During "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", his idea of torture is being force-fed coffee (which Mormons aren't meant to drink) by a group of demons, evil historical figures, and Elder McKinley.
- Crisis of Faith: He's suffering one by the end of Act II. Price has had to watch his faith get constantly tested since arriving in Uganda, and watch Cunningham succeed where Price has failed. Price is thus forced to realize that he's not the savior he thinks he is, and his last ditch effort is to go into General Butt-Fucking-Naked's camp with wholehearted faith. This get Price's Book of Mormon shoved up his ass for his trouble. After all that, Price simply can't understand what he's doing wrong, since he did everything he was taught to do back home and none of it is working. Price even admits to Cunningham that he'd questioned the Book of Mormon and several other Mormon doctrines before, since they didn't seem to make sense, but "a Mormon just believes" and he pushed those doubts aside because he was told that he'd be rewarded for it. When all of his earnest attempts at following the doctrine blow up in his face, Price becomes rather bitter as a result. This eventually leads to a "Eureka!" Moment where Price realizes that blindly following dogma won't work, and that Cunningham's efforts, while odd, were earnest and effective.
- Dark Reprise: Has one for a section of "Two By Two" right after "I Am Africa". After his Crisis of Faith, Price worries that he's never going to see Orlando again, singing somberly about how everything he wants is out of reach.
- Decoy Protagonist: Initially set up as the hero of the story with Cunningham as the comic relief. Price switches to more of a Deuteragonist role by Act II, and the musical ends with Cunningham as the hero and Price as his closest supporter.
- Disney Acid Sequence: Experiences one in the form of "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", where he has an Opinion-Changing Dream thanks to everyone in said dream telling Price what a jerk he is for abandoning Cunningham. Appropriate, considering his love of the Disney company.
- Drunk on Milk: After his Heroic BSoD, Price is found by Cunningham in a coffee shop, downing twelve cups worth of the stuff. It ties into Price's Crisis of Faith since Mormons aren't supposed to drink caffeine, and Price is chugging down a very caffeinated drink like it's the end of the world.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: It takes some character development, a Crisis of Faith, and a Heroic BSoD to get there (not to mention an Ass Shove). But Price does ultimately come out okay by the play's conclusion. He decides that, even if he and Cunningham aren't following the teachings or the rules exactly, it's still helping the people of Uganda and bringing them into the church. This resolves Price's personal demons, and he ends the play in a good place.
- "Eureka!" Moment: He has one after the Ugandans put on a play for the Mormon President, which gets the area decommissioned. Price realizes that Cunningham's efforts, while not true to the text, accomplished their goal of bringing faith to Uganda, which Price comes to argue is what the Mormons should really be focusing on.
- Fish out of Water: Quickly finds himself to be one in Uganda. Since he's never left home before, suddenly going to a third-world country where things are terrible from day-to-day really gets to Price. He tries to back out on just the second day, quickly loses his nerve, and undergoes a Crisis of Faith when his attempts at converting people backfire on him.
- The Fundamentalist: Deconstructed. Very much one at the start of the show, believing wholeheartedly in the Book of Mormon and Heavenly Father. This gradually wears off as things start going pear-shaped in Uganda. Then when he hits rock bottom during his Heroic BSoD, Price admits that there were plenty of times when he questioned the Book of Mormon while studying it, but he pushed through anyway because he was told it was the only way he could achieve the happiness he had on his family vacation to Orlando.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: In all but one Precision F-Strike instance, Price avoids cursing. He doesn't even say the titular phrase of "Hasa Diga Eebowai", even before learning what it means. This makes the aforesaid Precision F-Strike sentence more effective when he actually does say it. He'll say things like "To HECK with rules!", which causes other Elders to gasp.
- Heroic BSoD: After he fails to do even a single good thing for his church while watching Cunningham get converts by the dozens, Price is left with a Crisis of Faith. Price snaps out of it after realizing that, for all of the "creative liberties" Cunningham has taken with the Book of Mormon, he's brought hope to the people of Uganda, which is what the two of them were sent there to do in the first place.
- Heroic Wannabe: In "You and Me (But Mostly Me)", Elder Price sings about how he wants to be seen as a savior and "do something incredible that blows God's freakin' mind". It quickly goes awry once he has to put his faith to the test, as Price almost instantly loses his nerve when put outside of his comfort zone in Uganda.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Cunningham by the end. He even declares Cunningham to be his best friend, which Price was hesitant to do before.
- Ignored Epiphany: Discussed. After downing twelve cups of coffee during his Crisis of Faith, Price admits to the barista that there had been moments where he thought that things in the Book of Mormon didn't really make sense, but Price ignored them and pushed them aside because he thought he couldn't have any doubts about his faith. Price comes back around to that epiphany in the climax, so it's ultimately a subversion.
- Innocently Insensitive: Price's behavior isn't actively malicious; he's optimistic and means well, but generally comes across as narcissistic and naive. This lasts until the end of the play, where he has a "Eureka!" Moment about how to help the Ugandans.
- It's All About Me: The entirety of "You and Me (But Mostly Me)" is an Establishing Character Moment based around this trait. Price believes himself to be a great Mormon savior who will change the world, and that he wants to "do something incredible that blows God's freakin' mind". After things start going wrong in Uganda, Price requests a transfer, only thinking about how this would affect himself and not caring about what happens to Cunningham.Price: Heavenly Father has chosen you and me—just mostly me!
- Manchild: Granted, he's barely a legal adult at the age of nineteen, but he shows shades of this in his obsession with Orlando (because of things in the city like Disney, Sea World, and Putt-Putt mini golf that he really liked when he was there at the age of nine).
- My Greatest Failure: "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" reveals that he stole a maple glaze doughnut at the age of five and blamed it on his brother Jack, who got grounded for it. During the same song, he's also undergoing a crisis of conscience because he broke Rule 72 by abandoning Cunningham.
- Not Worth Killing: Implied to be how he makes it out of his confrontation with General Butt Fucking Naked alive. Price instead gets the Book of Mormon shoved up his ass because the General doesn't want to bother with him.
- Opinion-Changing Dream: "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream." Price was content to just leave Cunningham alone in Uganda, but realizes that he's done something terrible in the result. That, and he pissed off Jesus at the same time.
- Precision F-Strike: Gets one of these at the end. After their whole area is decommissioned, Price says that the Mormon elders shouldn't stick just to dogma, and do things their own way. When Price's fellow Mormons complain that the mission president won't allow that, Price responds with "You know what, guys? Fuck him!" and delivers An Aesop that the results are what they should be concerned with, not blindly following the rules.
- Pretty Boy: Doesn't have to be, but is usually cast as one.
- Running Gag: His obsession with Orlando. Price wants to go to Orlando on his mission, and wants to be transferred to Orlando when he decides "Screw This, I'm Out of Here!" in regards to Uganda. He even wants his own "Planet Orlando" as his eternal reward.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: At the end of Act I, he decides he's not going to go through with his mission and makes plans to get out of there with a transfer. A nightmare — specifically, a "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" — changes his mind.
- Small Name, Big Ego: His "I Want" Song "You and Me (But Mostly Me)" has Price declares his desire to "be the Mormon that changed all of mankind." Cunningham even manages to lift Price's spirits by saying that, if no one has been converted in Uganda yet, then Price will only seem more incredible when he pulls it off; Price accepts this whole-heartedly. By "All-American Prophet", Price advertises himself as much as the actual Mormon teachings. He gets over it, albeit not without a few slices of Humble Pie.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He undergoes this with Elder Cunningham towards the climax of the play. Price and Cunningham are having an argument, with neither being particularly fond of the other at the time. But with the mission president coming to preside over their mission and check their progress, Cunningham says that it would be in both his and Price's best interests to at least act like everything is fine. Price agrees, but the animosity remains until after the Ugandans put on their show.
- To Be Lawful or Good: The crux of his character development. Price chooses to be "lawful" at first, which puts him at odds with the more "good" Cunningham. Whereas Price tries to do everything by the book only to have it all blow up in his face, Cunningham bends the rules and gets things accomplished. This causes Price to have a Crisis of Faith until he decides that his faith is strong enough to accept bending the rules if it means helping people.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Downplayed. While portrayed with some sympathy due to how earnest he is about the Mormon faith, Price's massive ego and desire to hog the spotlight allow the audience to laugh at his increasing failures. Plus, Price undergoes some character development to get through the worst parts of his character.
- What the Hell, Hero?: On the receiving end of one from Jesus in "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream."Jesus: You blamed your brother for eating the doughnut, and now you walk out on your mission companion? You're a dick!
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Starts the show as one, believing that he's going to change the world. It doesn't last, as he undergoes a Break the Haughty arc that sees him undergo a Crisis of Faith after he fails but Cunningham succeeds.
Elder Cunningham
Elder Arnold Cunningham
Josh Gad as Elder Cunningham
Elder Arnold Cunningham is an enthusiastic but childish young Mormon who's excited to go out and proselytize with his new "best friend". Even though he hasn't actually read the Book of Mormon. He also has a very active imagination — that is to say, he lies a lot. This causes problems in the remote Ugandan village they've been assigned to when he starts taking a few "creative liberties".- Acquired Situational Narcissism: He gets a bit of a swelled head after converting all of the Ugandans. Once they all put on a play showing the Elders and church leaders exactly what he taught them, Cunningham comes crashing back to earth.
- Applicability: In-universe. After realizing that the text of the Book of Mormon on its own isn't doing enough to convert the Ugandans to Mormonism, he starts throwing in things to make it more applicable to them. While it may be a complete Ass Pull on Cunningham's part, his "teachings" still work.
- Ass Pull: In-Universe, he spends most of Act II doing this with his "alternative" teachings of the Book of Mormon, though not without good reason. Cunningham decides that if the text itself isn't going to convince the Ugandans not to do things like genital mutilation and baby rape, then he'll make it work by pulling from pop culture and pretending that it's in the Book of Mormon.
- Best Friend: Double subverted with Elder Price. Cunningham starts calling Price his best friend the moment they're paired up together for their mission, though Price clearly doesn't reciprocate. The end of Act I has Price drop a Wham Line that he feels stuck with Cunningham, which hurts Cunningham's feelings. However, Cunningham's awkward but earnest desire to help eventually wins Price over by the end of the play.
- Big Damn Heroes: In his and Price's confrontation the General at the end, he uses his "interpretation" of the Book of Mormon to convince the General to back off.
- Big Fun: He is usually either played by an overweight actor, or an actor who is costumed to appear fat. He's also rather lovable and funny with his awkward charm and earnest but misguided desire to be helpful.
- Break the Cutie: More than once. First after being abandoned by Price, and then again after "Joseph Smith, American Moses" when Nabulungi reproaches him for giving them false hope.
- Compulsive Liar: By his own admission, Cunningham lies quite often. He lies about things in the Book of Mormon to the Ugandans, lies about the text to Nabulungi, and lies about how bad he feels when Price accidentally hurts his feelings. However, Elder Cunningham is presented sympathetically because he has good reasons to lie about those things.
- Crossover Cosmology: Essentially what his version of Mormonism becomes, although with references to franchises like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings rather than other religions.
- Dare to Be Badass: "Man Up" is Cunningham convincing himself that that he can't run away from Uganda after seeing how bad things are, so he has to man up and work through it.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: His song with Nabulungi about her baptism, "Baptize Me", is one long Double Entendre.
- Establishing Character Moment: During the opening song, "Hello." He runs in after everyone else, and his "doorbell" sounds like a loud buzzer. Then comes his No Indoor Voice introduction which shows he doesn't follow the script. This sets up Cunningham as the comic relief while also showing that he's not that good with the strict dogma.Elder Cunningham: HELLO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE RELIGIONS? I HAVE A FREE BOOK WRITTEN BY JESUS!
- Feigning Intelligence: He hasn't read a single word of the Book of Mormon. This allows him to take "creative liberties" with the text as a result.
- Geek Physiques: Usually portrayed by a short overweight actor, or an actor that is made to appear overweight.
- Give Geeks a Chance: Nabulungi finds his nerdiness rather cute.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: As with all the Mormon characters, he refrains from swearing. When he finds out what "Hasa Diga Eebowai" means, he has a Freak Out, especially since he said it "like thirteen times" before being told what it meant.
- Heroic BSoD: After his "creative liberties" get the entire area decommissioned, Cunningham is pretty upset. He even says "I really did it this time" after thinking that he's ruined the mission for everyone, on the verge of tears.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Price by the end, after both of them undergo character development. At first, Cunningham was just latching onto Price like a leech, since Cunningham never really had a friend before. This quickly gets on Price's nerves, but Price mellows out over time and Cunningham mans up, causing the friendship to be genuine at the play's end.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: All he wants from the start of Act I is to have someone who actually likes him as a friend. It's why he clings to Price as his "new best friend" the moment they get assigned together, even though they know little more than each other's names. He does get what he wants with Elder Price, but not without some trouble.
- I've Heard of That — What Is It?: During "Two By Two", after hearing where he and Elder Price will be going on their mission.Elder Cunningham: Uganda? Cool! Where is that?
- Lawful Stupid: Subverting this is part of his characterization and his arc. His conscience — appearing in the forms of the authority figures in his life, real and fictional — shows up during "Making Things Up Again" to chastise him for lying to prevent someone from raping a baby. Cunningham essentially tells his conscience to shut up, and makes things up instead of reading what's really in the Book of Mormon in order to convert people.
- Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Characters like Darth Vader make appearances in his imagined scenes, but only in extremely crude costumes. Which actually makes it funnier.
- Manchild: He's very immature, with child-like reactions and difficulty behaving himself.
- Maybe Ever After: Heavily implied with Nabulungi, particularly during "Baptize Me", but they never get an official Relationship Upgrade.
- No Indoor Voice: Usually played this way. He often gets bouts of very loud, obnoxious laughter, though he quickly recognizes when he goes too far.
- No Social Skills: Very apparent from the beginning. He does improve as the show goes on though, and most of the characters come to find it endearing anyway.
- Running Gag: Finding new ways to mispronounce Nabulungi's name.
- Stepford Smiler: He doesn't have any friends, and he frequently gets in trouble for lying. He confides in Price that he feels like a Black Sheep in his family who disappoints his dad. He keeps putting on a strong face anyway, and "Man Up" is Cunningham deciding to keep going in spite of how bad he feels.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He undergoes this with Elder Price towards the climax of the play. Price and Cunningham are having an argument, with neither being particularly fond of the other at the time. But with the Mormon president coming to preside over their mission and check their progress, Cunningham says that it would be in both his and Price's best interests to at least act like everything is fine. Price agrees, but the animosity remains until after the Ugandans put on their show.
- To Be Lawful or Good: The crux of his character development. Cunningham chooses to be "good" more often than not by making things up or not following Mormon dogma, which puts him at odds with the more "lawful" Price. Whereas Price tries to do everything by the book only to have everything blow up in his face, Cunningham bends the rules and gets things accomplished.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: As he relays to Elder Price, Cunningham feels like his dad is constantly disappointed in him. One of the reasons that Cunningham tries as hard as he does is the belief that if he succeeds, he won't be such a disappointment anymore.Elder Cunningham: Together, we're gonna bring lots of Africans to the church! And then my dad will finally feel proud of me instead of just feeling stuck with me.
- Yarling: During "Man Up". However, it's intentionally exaggerated for the sake of comedy.
Nabulungi
Nabulungi Hatimbi
Nikki M. James as Nabulungi
Notably portrayed by: Nikki M. James (OBC), Alexia Khadime (Original West End)
Nabulungi is the daughter of the head of the village of Kitguli. She's friendly, idealistic, and unlike the rest of her village, is actually interested in what these strange white boys have to say. In particular, she takes a liking to Elder Cunningham, and is ready to believe anything he tells her.- Accidental Misnaming: One of the most prominent Running Gags is Elder Cunningham's inability to say her name correctly. She's addressed by different names each time he speaks to her, usually as a Shout-Out (such as 'Nala', 'Nicki Minaj', or 'NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-BATMAN') or using a funny word like 'Necrophilia'. The names get updated over time to reflect current memes ('Netflix-and-Chill') or to include regional jokes (for example, West End productions will have him call her Nigel Farage, a British politician).
- When Josh Gad did his final performance as Elder Cunningham, his last name for her was Nikki M. James.
- The Chief's Daughter: The daughter of the village head, and the first to befriend any of the Elders.
- Daddy's Girl: She's very close with her father.
- Dark Reprise: Sings a darker, sadder version of "Hasa Diga Eebowai" as Act II nears its end when she realizes that the Book of Mormon is just a book of stories.
- Daydream Believer: She initially believes that the Book of Mormon is literally true, as Elder Cunningham tells it, and that "Sal Tlay Ka Siti" is a paradise. She has a Heroic BSoD when she finds out that it's all just stories, prompting a Dark Reprise of "Hasa Diga Eebowai" where Nabulungi curses God for giving her hope. However, she snaps out of it when the other Ugandans reveal that they never believed Cunningham was telling them the literal truth, and that it was just metaphor all along.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Her song with Elder Cunningham about her baptism, "Baptize Me", is one long Double Entendre about sex.
- "I Want" Song: "Sal Tlay Ka Siti". It's about how "life won't be so shitty" if she accepts the Mormon teachings.
- Maybe Ever After: Heavily implied with Elder Cunningham, particularly during "Baptize Me", but they never get an official Relationship Upgrade.
- Missing Mom: Implied to have died before the events of the musical.
- Nice Girl: Has a 'wonderful disposition', as Mafala puts it. She's easily the biggest supporter of Price and Cunningham in the village, and grows especially close with the latter. However, as shown by her Dark Reprise of "Hasa Diga Eebowai," even she has her limits.
- Show Within a Show: Her play, "Joseph Smith American Moses", which presents the things that Elder Cunningham has been teaching the Ugandans.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Far more optimistic than the other Ugandans. This is broken at the end when she realizes Cunningham lied to her, though it doesn't last.
Elder McKinley
Elder McKinley
Rory O'Malley as Elder McKinley
Notably portrayed by: Rory O'Malley (OBC), Stephen Ashfield (Original West End), Grey Henson (Tour), Pierce Cassidy (Tour)
Elder McKinley is the District Leader of District 9. He's just as friendly and enthusiastic as the other Mormon boys, but is more than a little disheartened by his District's lack of baptisms in the three months they've been in Uganda. He is most certainly not gay.- Armored Closet Gay: Almost all of "Turn It Off" is spent establishing him as this, though he's much nicer about it than most examples of this trope. Despite the fact that McKinley is obviously gay and trying to repress this, he's still fairly polite and helpful.
- Black Comedy Animal Cruelty: In the Swedish version of "Turn It Off", rather than crushing a box of gay thoughts, McKinley encourages Price to "imagine that [his] brain is made of small, small cats/grab the cat that's gay and drown it".
- Camp Gay: Buried under several layers of repression, but still clearly this. After escorting Price and Cunningham to where they'll be sleeping, McKinley tap dances away from the door.
- Flaming Devil: Appears as one in "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", where he's dressed in bright red, but unlike the other minions of Hell, he first appears dancing with a feather boa and beckoning to Price.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: As with all the Mormon characters.McKinley: O-M-Gosh you guys, I am freaking out!
- Incompatible Orientation: Implied when he briefly recalls his crush on his childhood best friend Steve.
- Large Ham: "Turn It Off" shows him to be this. The guy tap dances away long after his song is over, and continues wearing a pink sparkly vest the whole time in many productions.
- Love at First Sight: While every production has McKinley be at least a little bit attracted to Price, some have taken it further and implied this of McKinley's side of their relationship.
- Maybe Ever After: He's rather blatantly crushing on Elder Price for a good amount of the show, and depending on how a production plays it, and how the audience chooses to interpret it, Price's "even if we break the rules" line, delivered while looking straight at McKinley, could be taken as Price possibly returning his feelings.
- Minor Character, Major Song: "Turn It Off" is one of the show's most acclaimed songs, but after it's over his main role is to be the face of the District 9 Elders and be the source of a few more gay jokes.
- Only One Name: Canonically, he's only ever referred to as Elder McKinley — however, the fan nickname 'Connor' has reached a point of being so universal that even most actors involved with the show accept and use it.
- Stepford Smiler: Has an entire song about repressing one's feelings. Complete with elaborate tap dancing.
- Transparent Closet: His repressed homosexuality is about as subtle as the pink sparkly vest he wears during "Turn It Off".
- Waistcoat of Style: A pink, sparkly one, as shown in his character image. All of the Elders get them in "Turn It Off."
Mafala
Mafala Hatimbi
Michael Potts as Mafala
Notably portrayed by: Michael Potts (OBC), Giles Terera (Original West End)
The head of the village of Kitguli, he welcomes Elders Price and Cunningham to Uganda — and makes it immediately clear to them that religion is far from his village's top priority. He is also Nabulungi's father.- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Of Nabulungi, which he makes clear during "Hasa Diga Eebowai". He probably has better reason to be this way than most examples of this trope, considering the AIDS epidemic and genital-mutilating warlord running around (and the fact that he has AIDS himself), but threatening to give Price and Cunningham AIDS themselves is still more than a little extreme.
- Cluster F-Bomb: During "Hasa Diga Eebowai". After establishing exactly what the phrase means, he becomes noticably more foul-mouthed.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: He's constantly smiling and jocular, but definitely aware of the poor state of his town.Price: Excuse me sir, but you should really not be saying that. Things aren't always as bad as they seem!Mafala: Oh really? Well take this fucking asshole Mtumbo here. He got caught last week trying to rape a baby! People in his tribe believe that having sex with a virgin will cure their AIDS. There aren't many virgins left, so some of them are turning to babies.Price: But that's horrible!Mafala: (cheerfully) I know!
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: He warns Elders Price and Cunningham that "if either of you lays a hand on her," he'll give them both AIDS.
- Last-Second Word Swap: During "Hasa Diga Eebowai":Mafala: Here's the butcher, he has AIDS; here's the teacher, she has AIDS; here's the doctor, he has AIDS; here's my daughter, she has A... wonderful disposition!
- Minor Character, Major Song: Leads "Hasa Diga Eebowai", the big establishing number for the setting of Uganda, and then fades into the background to allow Nabulungi to take prominence.
- Nice Guy: Threatening the missionaries with AIDS aside, he's a pretty friendly guy overall. He loves his daughter, is extremely welcoming to Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, immediately teaches them something from his culture, and invites them to share in "Hasa Diga Eebowai" even though he knows their problems aren't even close to as bad as his own.
- Rage Against the Heavens: "Hasa Diga Eebowai" is all about this. It translates to "Fuck you, God!" and he says it "whenever something bad happens".
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: The most foul-mouthed character in the play.
The Elders of District 9
The Elders of District 9
The rest of the District 9 missionaries — Elders Thomas, Zelder, Michaels, Neeley, Schrader, Church, and Davis. As a group, they're all friendly, enthusiastic, and almost as repressed as Elder McKinley.- Abusive Parents: Elder Church has an abusive drunkard father and a battered mother.
- All There in the Script:
- Elders Schrader and Zelder are never actually named in the show, but have names in the script accompanying the two lines they each have. As for the others, their names are each only mentioned once, and in quick succession, making them very easy to miss.
- More like All There In The Props, but the board in the mission hut also shows what the other mission companion pairings are, which never comes up in the dialogue (they are McKinley/Thomas, Zelder/Michaels, Neeley/Schrader, and Church/Davis).
- Camp Straight: Usually all played as such, though it varies cast to cast somewhat. Of course, there's no reason to believe none of them are gay either.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Elders Church and Thomas definitely have these, growing up with an abusive father and losing a sibling to cancer respectively. It's implied that the others may also have similar backgrounds.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: Elder Thomas' sister died of cancer while he was on line to buy an iPhone, her last words being "Where is my brother?" Elder Thomas says that this is what he tries to bury in "Turn It Off".
- Only One Name: None of them have first names, though like McKinley, some of them have been given unofficial names by the fans.
- Stepford Smiler: All of them in "Turn It Off". The whole song is about the Elders saying the best way to deal with bad thoughts and dark feelings is to just pretend you don't feel that way.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Apparently Pop-Tarts are this for Elder Thomas, enough to be the basis for a nickname.
General Butt-Fucking-Naked
General Butt-Fucking-Naked
A ruthless and widely-feared warlord who received his nickname from his habit of stripping naked before murdering somebody.- Big Bad: The main source of conflict in the play.
- Heel–Faith Turn: Double Subverted. Elder Price tries to get him to change his ways by preaching Mormonism to him, and he seems to be seriously considering it... but then he stuffs Price's copy of the book up his ass. Later on, however, he's shown to have become a member of the Church of Arnold.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's based on a real-life Liberian warlord known as General Butt Naked, who also gave up violence after becoming religious.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He calls himself a general but his "army" seems to consist of a tiny handful of guys in t-shirts with small arms and he's limited to bullying a local village over a hundred miles from the nearest city. One of the villagers outright says "you're no general", to which he responds by shooting them.
