Tammy Faye musical reviews – what did the critics make of the new production?

Reviews have dropped for the new Tammy Faye musical in London – what did the critics make of it?

The new production opened at the Almeida Theatre on 13 October.

Telling the story of the titular American evangelist, the piece is written by legendary songwriter Elton John, Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears and award-winning writer James Graham (Ink, BBC’s Sherwood).

Directed by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold (Spring Awakening), the cast is led by Olivier Award-winner Katie Brayben (Beautiful) as Tammy Faye and Tony Award-nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon, Girls) as Jim.

Tammy Faye London reviews

Financial Times – 4/5
“The Lord moves in mysterious ways — and so it comes to pass that we have this divinely delirious glitz-bomb of a musical from James Graham and Elton John. Together with the lyricist Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, playwright and songwriter measure up to the phenomenal rise and fall of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker” – Read the full review

The Independent – 4/5
“Ultimately, it’s hard to resist such a winning, hard-working cast. In one of the show’s best lines, Jim tells Tammy why she was so good on TV. ‘You opened your heart and people wanted to come in! It was like the opposite of church.’ That’s basically Tammy Faye.” – Read the full review

The Guardian – 4/5
“Songs belt out deliriously in this romp through rise and fall of the Bakker televangelists and latterday gay icons – so thick and fast the James Graham script and Jake Shears lyrics are sometimes overwhelmed by glitz” – Read the full review

iNews – 4/5
“The closing number, ‘See You in Heaven’, is the evening’s stand-out. Heaven might have to wait, but there is little doubt that we’ll be seeing this show in venues beyond the Almeida.” – Read the full review

The Telegraph – 3/5
“It isn’t a hell of a show, more surprisingly purgatorial at too many points, struggling to find a strong dramatic pulse.” – Read the full review

Evening Standard – 4/5
“There are some shows you never expect to see, and a musical about a gay-friendly televangelist and America’s Christian right in the Seventies and Eighties by Elton John, James Graham and Jake Scissor Sisters’ Shears is one of them. But here it is and praise the lord, it’s a religious riot.” – Read the full review

The Times – 2/5
“The prospect of hearing a new set of songs by one of our greatest musicians means that tickets are in short supply. Yet for all Katie Brayben’s efforts in the title role, this show — a decade in the making and fitted with serviceable lyrics by the Scissor Sisters star Jake Shears — trundles from one set-piece to another.” – Read the full review

Tammy Faye plays Almeida Theatre, London currently booking through to 3 December 2022.

Book Tammy Faye London tickets here »

The standard performance schedule is Monday-Saturday at 7:30PM with 2:30PM matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays.