Bat Out of Hell is back in Manchester… and it’s back with a bang! The rip-roaring, high-octane Meat Loaf musical returns to its roots, the home of the show’s premiere, for a limited run. Showcasing the iconic anthems from Meat Loaf’s thumping debut album, with music and lyrics by the wonderful Jim Steinman, this production is a real crowd pleaser from start to finish.
Set in the post-apocalyptic, fictional city of Osidian, Bat Out of Hell is loosely based on Peter Pan, following Strat, leader of ‘The Lost’, a group of misfits frozen in time as 18-year-olds. Strat has fallen in love with Raven, daughter of Falco, Osidian’s tyrannical ruler. With a Romeo and Juliet-esque narrative, crossed with an epic rock concert, the show is brilliantly bonkers and unapologetically over the top.
Glenn Adamson was every inch the leading man, confidently portraying Strat with superb stage presence, swagger, sex appeal and star quality. His voice was incredible, belting out hit after hit effortlessly throughout. The show’s title track was an impressive Act One finale. Katie Tonkinson as his love interest, Raven, brought a real tenderness and believability to the role. Her rendition of ‘Its All Coming Back To Me Now’ was beautiful. Undoubtably, however, Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton (As Falco and Sloane) are absolute show stealers. Reprising their roles from the original show, their comic timing, which is second to none, is matched by their impeccable singing voices. ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ was a highlight, emphasising the wackiness of the show. Meanwhile, ‘What Part of My Body Hurts the Most’ demonstrated their wonderfully tight harmonies and chemistry with one another.
The show boasts a great ensemble who keep up such an incredible, high-energy performance throughout the show, which is no mean feat! ‘Dead Ringer for Love’, ‘Wasted Youth’ and ‘Objects in the Rear View Mirror’ particularly showcased their talents, whilst choreography by Xena Gusthart was inspired and really elevated the ensemble numbers.
I was lucky enough to have seen the show’s Manchester premiere, some eight years ago. While it is difficult not to be disappointed that the production elements have been diluted and scaled back somewhat, Jon Bausor’s design brought the dystopian world to life with an ever-changing set, taking us from underground tunnels to Raven’s bedroom, to the Falco residence. Whilst functional and feeling on a budget, it was more than fit for purpose. Finn Ross’ video design, projecting live streamed footage to large screens on the stage, emphasise the rock concert feel to the piece whilst giving the audience up-close, intimate character reactions. I can only assume hand microphones, that were used by all the leads throughout, was an artistic choice to add to this concert style of the show. I must say, though, this was very distracting to the narrative and restricted the actors’ ability to move and act freely.
At times the plot is hard to follow and has flaws to its pacing. However, for this production, I really don’t think it matters. When you have a soundtrack as epic as this, the songs and the music are paramount. Backed by a fantastic live band, led by Iestyn Griffiths, the cast did it justice and then some! Overall, Bat Out of Hell is way more than your average jukebox musical, it’s a spectacle… it’s noisy, heart-thumping and most importantly – real good fun! A great night out is guaranteed for musical theatre goers and Meat Loaf fans alike. So, rev your engines, dust off your leathers and get down to Manchester Palace Theatre to make all your ‘Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through’.
Bat Out of Hell is at Manchester Palace Theatre until Saturday 8th March. Book tickets here: Bat Out Of Hell Tickets | Palace Theatre Manchester in Manchester | ATG Tickets
Reviewer: Paddy Darnell-Walsh
Reviewed: 26th February 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
