Immensely spectacular artistic work and a few corking performances can’t fairly conceal the hollowness on the coronary heart of Tammy Faye on the Almeida Theatre
“You opened your heart and people wanted to come in. It was like the opposite of church”
I don’t know something in regards to the world of US TV evangelists. And I ponder what number of Brits actually do, except for seeing the movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye final yr, heaven is aware of the reviewers all look like consultants… Which is a roundabout method of claiming that it appears like an odd alternative for Tammy Faye to emerge on the Almeida Theatre (is there a cultural alternate scheme possibly? Can we count on Bella Emberg the Musical at Roundabout subsequent yr? I’d LOVE that 😂)
And additional to that, the present is directed by Rupert Goold with a e book by James Graham and rating by Elton John, lyricist Jake Shears (late of much-missed Scissor Sisters) is the one US headline artistic. I don’t know whether it is notably essential, or somewhat I can’t say, as I don’t know something in regards to the true life story of Tammy Faye, nevertheless it all simply appears like a curious option to put a lot artistic useful resource into, at the very least on this aspect of the pond.
And there’s a lot right here. Goold is aware of the best way to stage a balls-out superb musical on this area (I LOVED American Psycho) and with Bunny Christie’s witty and fantastic set design evoking so many TV reminiscences, Lynne Page’s choreography wonderful in its homosexual abandon and Katrina Lindsay’s resplendent 80s wig and costume work, Tammy Faye is an undoubted visible deal with that does a lot so proper.
This is matched with some impeccable casting. Katie Brayben is quietly constructing a profession as one among our most interesting thespians and he or she’s unbelievable right here, greater than able to main from the entrance along with her astounding vocal prowess and actual nuance labored into her character even because the kitsch threatens to overwhelm. Andrew Rannells impresses too as her husband and co-televangelist who has to study to dwell more and more in her shadow.
Storywise, the rise of the Christian proper within the face of Tammy’s burgeoning feminist and homosexual rights credentials is current nevertheless it doesn’t at all times really feel just like the manufacturing is especially occupied with telling this story. At occasions, it’s like an introduction calendar of flashy drive-by cameos and camp moments which, as entertaining as they’re, do detract from the precision with which we’ve got turn out to be so luxuriously accustomed with James Graham’s unimaginable oeuvre.
And Elton John’s rating additionally has a distracting high quality to it, because it attracts on a number of US influences of Christian rock, gospel and honky-tonk in addition to musical theatre requirements with out ever managing to provide you with a character or identification of its personal. The iconic majesty of the music of Billy Elliot is lacking right here; with out the bells and whistles of this manufacturing (and the efforts of a unbelievable forged), you marvel how forgettable this rating may find yourself being.