Almeida, London
16th November 2023, matinee
“He’s inside Tammy and he’s inside
Jim”
Theatre lovers have whispered rumours for years about Elton
John’s long-awaited Tammy Faye musical. Following the success of the recent
Oscar-winning film based on the Televangelist’s life, audiences’ appetites had
been well and truly whetted. You could say it’s been a varied year for Elton –
the first newly staged revival of Billy Elliot opened at Curve to rave
reviews back in July, while the songwriter’s recent adaptation of The Devil
Wears Prada was by all accounts underwhelming. So, where does Tammy Faye
sit on the 2022 success scale? While not quite as emotionally engaging or
instantly lovable as Billy, the musical is polished, witty and has
enough catchy tunes to warrant further life.
James Graham’s book frames the piece as a memory play. We
begin with an ailing Tammy (Katie Brayben) being given a bleak prognosis by her
doctor, although Tammy, the eternal optimist, can’t help but use the
opportunity to crack jokes at her own expense. We subsequently travel back
through the years as Tammy remembers the ups and downs of her extraordinary
career. For a British audience the world of televangelism seems utterly alien –
a mix of religious fanaticism and cloyingly American cheeriness, earnestness
and bravura. Yet the human stories beneath in this madcap veneer of zealousness
are engaging and intriguing.
Together with her husband, Jim Bakker (Andrew Rannells),
Tammy Faye creates her own PTL (Praise The Lord) tv chat show – think This
Morning with added piety (and puppets!) – and soon climbs the ladder of
success to prove her doubters wrong. Chief among these doubters is Zubin
Varla’s old-school Jerry Falwell, who thinks that religion is a strictly
serious business, and believes the word of God should be preached by a series
of grey men in grey suits. And while Tammy may seem the very antithesis of
‘serious’, we never doubt her faith and she doesn’t shy away from broaching
taboo subjects – as seen in her famous interview with AIDS patient Steve
Pieters. While the musical perhaps sentimentalises this moment (Tammy hugs Steve,
when in reality the interview was conducted via video link), the evident bias
towards Bakker fits with the memory play structure; we are seeing Tammy as she
sees herself – a selfless beacon of virtue. Bakker is very much the victim
according to this version of events. She is clueless when it comes to the
financial scam orchestrated by her husband, wherein viewers are persuaded to
part with their cash in order to reserve their place in the PTL ‘home’ and
promised theme park as laid out in the high kitsch number ‘God’s House/Heritage
USA’. Yes, it’s difficult to believe that someone shrewd enough to climb the fame
ladder can be so naïve, but this can be forgiven thanks to the nostalgic
perspective of our protagonist. Even Bakker’s famed over-the-top aesthetic is
toned down here in comparison with other portrayals.
The creative team do a great job of bringing to life these outlandish
characters without turning them into caricatures. We sympathise with Tammy when
Jim is found to have sexually assaulted a fan (although it would have been nice
to see a little more from victim, Jessica Hahn’s perspective here), and her
optimism and strength are wondrous. As expected, John and Shears have written
some cracking torch songs for their heroine, namely the Act One finale ‘Empty
Hands’ and the empowering ballad ‘If You Came To See Me Cry’. Katie Brayben
excels during these moments, pouring her heart out and giving her all in a
performance that is bound to garner many nominations come awards season. Other
musical highlights include ‘Satellite of God’, a ‘Stars’-esque number sung by a
stoic Jerry Falwell, and the cutesy duet ‘Light of Love’, sung by the young Jim
and Tammy when the world was their oyster and both their love and piety seemed
most sincere.
Goold’s direction is solid, making the most of the kitsch
subject matter without becoming too gaudy. While the show fits nicely on the intimate
Almeida stage, I can’t help but think this has been designed and directed with
bigger spaces in mind. Bunny Christie sets events against a large television
gameshow-like backdrop, complete with sliding windows through which characters
pop up and offer commentary. The show also has a large roster of characters
populating the stage, which helps in creating the sweeping feel to the saga. The
cast are generally excellent, with Brayben, Rannells and Varla particularly
well cast in their roles.
The world of Tammy Faye Bakker is a marvel, and we’re
encouraged to gawp and titter at the bizarre fantasy land on display, but the
jokes are never mean and the action is peppered with a pathos that reminds us
that these are real people and real events. While it may not be to everyone’s
taste I loved Graham’s ending to the play. I won’t say much more so as not to
spoil it, but it is both a surprising and touchingly fitting finale to the
Tammy Faye story. This show will get a further life. When, who knows. But I have faith…
Tammy Faye played at the Almeida until 3rd December.
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Andrew Rannells and Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye. Credit: Marc Brenner |
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