High on parody and huge on energy, Altar Boyz is a superb spoof of a Christian boy band that is full of super-tight choreography, crystal clear harmonies and jam-packed with laughs.

Introduced to us on the final performance of their National Raise the Praise Tour, the five boys are fresh-faced, buff and eager to please – clearly inspired by God to convert a few world-weary souls to Jesus.

Sure, it’s totally cheesy and completely cringe-worthy, but in order to parody anything well you have to be as good, if not better, than the product you’re poking fun at, and that’s where Altar Boyz, and this Aussie production, comes into its own.

Originally staged off-Broadway, the show is actually very cleverly written by Kevin Del Aguila, with music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, and includes some great double-edged lines that point out the absurdity of religion all the way through, without being overly offensive or crude.

For example, when Mark (Dion Bilios) is telling the audience about how the group was formed, the band’s lead singer Matthew (Cameron MacDonald) gently cautions him not to use the word ‘evolution’. And with lyrics like ‘Jesus called me on my cell phone’ and the highly suggestive ‘God put the rhythm in me, put it in me’ – all sung completely deadpan – the show hits its comic mark very early on.

Brilliantly directed by Kate Gaul with superb choreography by Antony Ginandjar, the five boys expertly parody current pop styles and attitudes, including white boy rap, Latin pop, hip hop, funk and tortured love ballad, always keeping the show moving and never letting the audience have too much time to think.

Striking just the right balance between naïve enthusiasm and tongue-in-cheek religious zeal, there is a great chemistry and sense of fun between the cast that comes through in each number.

As Matthew, MacDonald has a clear, strong pop sound that anchors the harmonies perfectly, and his oh-so-serious delivery, and permanent little frown are ideal for the role of the care-worn band leader.

One of the many highlights of the night is his earnest, heart-felt ballad, ‘Something About You’, which he sings to a girl hand-picked from the audience, with the immortal line, ‘You make me want to wait’.

Also hilarious is Bilios as the clueless and closeted Mark, whose crush on Matthew seems obvious to everyone but himself and seems to have extended way back to high school days. So repressed is Mark that even his would-be ‘coming out’ anthem is subverted into a song about being a Catholic.

But overall this is a great ensemble piece and the other cast members – Jeremy Brennan as Juan (he’s Spanish), Luke (Tim Maddren) and Jewish boy Abraham (Andrew Koblar) are also a riot and pitch their performances at just the right level.

Musical direction by Robert Gavin is flawless, with the four-member band of two keyboards, guitar and drums producing a big, rich sound equal to the never-ending pop onslaught.

One of the most successful off-Broadway musicals in recent years, Altar Boyz is currently enjoying a long run on London’s West End and this production deserves to be around for a while too.