Bat Out of Hell The Musical
Inspired by Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s legendary Bat Out of Hell album, this high-octane rock musical delivers a rebellious love story set in a dystopian future.
Firstly I must commend the attention to detail by the front of house staff at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham who all wore an array of rock t-shirts which certainly set the scene for the evening.
It’s very rare for me not to have seen a musical that has been around for many years, however Bat Out of Hell passed me by for whatever reason, however I am now a fully fledged fan of this slightly crazy, highly charged rock musical. We all know how flamboyant and theatrical Meatloaf was, so to lend his music to this sort of show was the perfect fit.
Leading the pack and returning to the role of Strat is Glenn Adamson. Now, when I say Glenn has star quality, he has it in abundance. The vocals are quite simply insane and the thought of him producing this quality night after night is literally mind-blowing! There was a strong connection with the audience and Glenn’s performance was mesmerising. Strat’s love interest in the show is Raven played magnificently by Katie Tonks. From seeing her previously as Bonnie in the touring production of Bonnie and Clyde I knew what a beautiful voice she had, however mix in an element of rock and Tonks soared to new heights. Every note produced is completely pitch perfect, especially during ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ where there is always an element of expectation, but she nailed it 100% and then some!
Also returning to the roles of Falco and Sloane is Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton respectively whose on stage chemistry was something to behold, especially during ‘Paradise By The Dashboard Light’ where we see a lot more of them than perhaps expected!. Again, the vocals from both Fowler and Sexton were first class and to be honest this cast rocked my world, giving me many goosebump moments throughout.
The use of handheld microphones and on stage filming projected onto two screens really gave a rock concert style throughout and added to the drama and theatricality of the whole show. On stage filming is becoming more and more common, and when used in the right way it really does give the show a new dimension and gives the audience lots of different view points. Lighting by Patrick Woodroffe also elevated dramatic moments in the production, and the use of a disco ball to project light into the auditorium added even more star quality.
The story, in my eyes, is the tale of Peter Pan, a boy that never grows up (Strat), a ‘Hook’ baddie (Falco) who is out to end Peter’s life, a ‘Tink’ character who is in love with Peter, and is actually called Tink in the show, and The Lost Boys, known as ‘The Lost’. The story is also an intense love story, highly charged, sexy, dramatic and a little quirky. I loved its drama, and the band, under the musical direction of Iestyn Griffiths made the rafters rock with their incredible sound and unwavering beat.
I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to see this show, and would happily return just to see this incredibly talented cast in action, so ‘For Crying Out Loud’, head into Birmingham and rock out with Bat Out of Hell The Musical!
This show was reviewed on the 10th February 2025 at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham where it runs until the 22nd February 2025. Tickets available here: Bat Out Of Hell Tickets | The Alexandra, Birmingham in Birmingham | ATG Tickets
For full tour details visit : Bat Out Of Hell | UK Tour 2025
Review written by Emma Rowley
AD/Gifted
Photo credit: Chris Davis Studio
Check out other reviews from Curtain Call Reviews and get in touch to have our reviewers head to your show.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.