Martha Kirby Archives - North West End UK

4May

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Bat Out Of Hell – Sheffield Lyceum

Set in a dystopian future, this post-apocalyptic rock and roll musical has the audience fully invested as the characters live and relive the spine-tingling drunkenness of youth and love. With the greatest storytelling hits of the legendary Jim Steinman and Meatloaf forefront and taking centre stage, this UK tour is setting the theatres in its path alight, and Sheffield was no exception. With its unusual live video capture on stage, which is projected onto both a screen and the windows of Falco Towers, the audience are subject to aesthetic ensemble spectacle and heart wrenching close up intimacy – a peep into a hybrid between theatre and film. The story is set in Obsidian (Manhattan as we know it) which has floated out to sea and is tyrannically ruled by Falco played by the role’s origi...

27Apr

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Bat out of Hell – Regent Theatre

“I would do anything for love…” is probably one of Meat Loaf’s best-known lyrics, and it provides the backbone of this entire production. Bat out of Hell follows the story of Strat, a street kid whose DNA was frozen when he was 18 preventing him from ageing, and Raven, the daughter of the local power-hungry magnate. They meet by chance when Raven sneaks out from her home, desperate to experience life outside her protected bubble. With the help of a stellar soundtrack written by Jim Steinman, we see their relationship grow and then falter, we experience some of the challenges Strat and his friends face on the margin of society and we share in Raven’s frustration with her overprotective father; and then we witness a rousing finale that answers the question of just what people will do for lov...

9Feb

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

Bat Out of Hell – Edinburgh Playhouse

Romeo and Juliet meets Peter Pan, meets Meatloaf is probably the best summary one can give of Bat Out Of Hell the musical. The plot is familiar and so is the music, and perhaps that’s what makes it such a fun and lovable show. In what we can assume is a futuristic world just like our own a chemical leak has led to a portion of society remaining forever at the age of 18. This has caused a rivalry between the forever young and those still bitterly aging. Our Peter Pan archetype: Strat (Glenn Adamson) leads the Lost however becomes infatuated by young 18-year-old Raven (Martha Kirby) the unsatisfied daughter of our villain Falco (Rob Fowler) and his even more so unsatisfied wife Sloane (Sharon Sexton). Throughout we see Strat and Raven fight the odds to be together even with the disapprova...

19Jan

By Chloe StallibrassNo Comments

London

Bat Out of Hell – New Wimbledon Theatre

The award-winning musical ‘Bat Out of Hell’ revved its way into The New Wimbledon Theatre. Multiple hits rolled into one action packed musical that will get you on your feet by the end of the night, with hit songs from Jim Steinman and Meatloaf. This musical tells the story of the main characters Raven the daughter of Falco, and Strat who fall in love against family wishes. Strat is the leader of The Lost, a group of teenagers that never grow up. The reasoning behind The Lost never growing up was never quite explained in detail, however, shows a remarkable resemblance to The Lost Boys in ‘Peter Pan’ giving the audience familiarity in a childhood favourite story with a dystopian take. There are multiple subplots thought the show supporting the overarching love story with Ravens parents a...

Bat Out Of Hell – Opera House Manchester

15Sep

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Bat Out Of Hell – Opera House Manchester

The award-winning musical featuring Jim Steinman & Meat Loaf’s greatest hits has rock n rolled back into Manchester where it opened back in 2017 and my goodness has it made itself heard! Of course, when you hear the title ‘Bat Out of Hell’ you can’t help but sing it. Packed to the brim with rock anthems, the production is exactly as you would expect it to be paired with the dramatic, rock songs produced through the years by the well-known pair. The story follows Strat, the leader of the rebellious gang ‘The Lost’, as he falls in love with Raven, the beautiful daughter of the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian, Falco. There’s a real sense of a Romeo and Juliet, star crossed lovers plot, mixed with a hint of the story of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, as the rebellious crew are forever young, th...

Soft Sessions Live In Concert – stream.theatre

23Apr

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Soft Sessions Live In Concert – stream.theatre

Together at Woolwich Warehouse, a line-up of West End regulars swap their usual, familiar stages for a more intimate venue where they perform a series of gentle acoustic covers. The six singers all lend their idyllic voices to the songs, and they blend wondrously in the duets. Grace Mouat and Courtney Stapleton harmonise with each other particularly well, soothing any listening ear in their rendition of ‘Teach You’. Eloise Davies and Martha Kirby’s mellifluous collaboration on ‘Don’t Make It Harder on Me’ is another highlight, and it looks like the pair are having genuine fun as they simultaneously hit their notes. Similarly, Danielle Flamanya and Jake Halsey-Jones have great vocal chemistry in ‘Never Too Much’, and their animated performances show them both getting caught up in the ...

2Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The Show Must Go On!

On the 16th March 2020, following Government guidelines, theatres across the United Kingdom were forced to close their doors amidst a global pandemic. It is now time to unite as a community and #SaveOurTheatres West End Live Lounge have created this amazing video featuring a plethora of theatre stars to help get this simple message across, The Show Must Go On! Cast Includes: Glenn Adamson, Kelly Agbowu, Marcus Ayton, Adam Bailey, Zoe Birkett, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Erin Caldwell, Louise Dearman, Kellie Gnauck, Simon Gordon, Natalie Green ,Emma Hatton, Lisa-Marie Holmes, Jacqueline Hughes, Joel Harper-Jackson, Sejal Keshwala, Emma Kingston, Martha Kirby, Emma Lindars, Shekinah McFarlane, Kayleigh McKnight,Sarah Moss, Brady Isaacs-Pearce, Laura Pick, Andrew Polec ,Lauren James-Ray, Jo...