(seen at the afternoon performance on 12th November 2022)
Jim and Tammy-Faye Bakker are 1960s travelling preachers with a gimmick. A pair of holy puppeteers preaching the gospel where they can find an audience. Inspired by a conference of fellow preachers and envying their success, they doorstep local communications tycoon Ted Turner just at the point he needs content for this new invention called “cable television.” The PTL (‘Praise The Lord’) network is born.
After a rough start to the television ministry, the Bakker’s home-spun philosophies on life, baking and the Lord stir millions of Americans into donating millions of dollars. A theme-park with holy timeshare apartments is the ultimate result. Other preachers are envious, the Inland Revenue Service just wants to know exactly where the money comes from and is going...
James Graham condenses the tale and adds a few comedy embellishments into an effective and fast moving book with the most tragic but wittiest opening scene of any musical the monkey can remember and an observation about Cliff which brings down the house.
Elton John provides the catchy music, “See You In Heaven” has the audience going not in peace but humming loudly. Every song is a treat, with Jake Shears matching the music with wit that had the monkey snorting about an undercooked soul and musing about razor blades.
Rupert Goold manipulates the action like the best televangalists direct their flock. Everybody is under his instruction to react as he wishes yet believing it is of their own free will. Choreographer Lynne Page goes in for the odd big group gospel number but manages to keep it credibly tacky as the era would have wished it to be.
The Almeida’s stage gets a wall of TV-shaped openings courtesy of Bunny Christie, on to which Finn Ross has projected evocative slides of the era when not in use for other things. Also very much of the era, Katrina Lindsay comes up with outfits which are not just memorable but desirable enough to be sold in the gift-shop outside, going by interval discussions.
And that’s before the cast get a look in. Katie Brayben in the title role is a lady whose faith in her man may be tested, in addiction is truly tested, but who has beliefs, charisma and a wicked sense of self-preservative wit.
Husband Jim, Andrew Rannells by contrast is weak, insecure, greedy and feckless. The confidence instilled in him by his wife is eventually taken for granted yet Rannells still has us oddly rooting for him despite all.
His temptation, Jessica Hahn, gives Gemma Sutton an opportunity to play the innocent dupe who rightly decides to get even once mad. Sutton’s acting abilities prove more than a match for the required quick changes of mood.
Nicholas Rowe enjoys himself as network head Ted Turner, looming over all from a balcony before worrying himself centre stage. Steve John Shepherd gets some lively turns as Jimmy Swaggart, Ronald “chef” Regan and the Archbishop of Canterbury, possibly luckier than Richard Dempsey who draws Ally the Alligator, Paul Crouch and Colonel Sanders. But then, it is that kind of show, as Peter Caulfield is Billy Graham, Larry Flint, Pontius Pilate and the judge landed with making sense of it all.
The show is everything “The Book of Mormon” tries to be, but better. A properly intellectual approach produces satirical wit without lavatorial humour or ever sneering at those who chose to believe. The disappointment expressed at the end of the show is mostly without rancour, that the crazy tale is acknowledged to have done spiritual good makes the humour even easier to accept.
A great cast given a brilliant production of an intelligent and beautifully constructed new show. Too good not to transfer to the West End, Broadway and beyond, it is the answer to sophisticated musical theatre fans prayers.
If you can get a ticket, see it now as you will want to boast “I was there.”
5 stars, standing ovation.
Photo credit: Marc Brenner, used by kind permission.