Bat Out of Hell is a rock musical with the works of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman being given a resurrection to create the ultimate playlist. The show follows Strat, who is a leader of ‘The Lost’, falling in love with the daughter of a tyrannical ruler, Raven. It is thought to be based loosely on Peter Pan and the show has now toured around the world to places such as Australia and New Zealand.
The first half of the show was exhilarating and began with a huge ballad and dance sequence. The costumes were very eye-catching and really helped portray characters and their personalities. Not only that, there were screens which had amazing graphics, setting the scene well and added to the storytelling. For example, they filmed the characters and projected this onto the screens, so you could see their interactions from different angles.
Throughout the show, the energy remained high and was comical in parts. The audience were very receptive and were able to really get lost in the songs. Most of the show was sung which was interesting but the storyline was still there. This was a good idea but I think in reality the plot was slightly weak due to the songs taking ‘centre stage’ (excuse the pun).
Also, the actors were very high quality. Beth Woodcock who played Zahara Ryan, and Ryan Carter who played Jagwire had equally impressive voices and their chemistry on stage was electric. This chemistry was also present between the two main characters (Katie Tonkinson as Raven and Glenn Adamson as Strat). What stood out to me was how the choreographer really tried to make sure the audience always had something to look at without overshadowing the characters who were speaking/singing. The band were spectacular and worked continuously throughout the length of the performance.
Overall, I would recommend this show for anyone who is a fan of rock and roll music as it really respected the genre while adding a unique spin to it at times. Also, it is very high energy with flashing lights, loud sounds and screams at times for anyone who may be slightly sensitive to this.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Bat Out of Hell is playing at the Lyceum Theatre until May 3rd, & is touring the U.K. until September 20th
