Bat Out Of Hell, the musical based upon the works of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman finally opened at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last night. Twice delayed because of Covid19, we at SmallHouseBigTrips had been looking forward to this for, quite literally, years.
The Alex had clearly gone all out for the debut show of 2022: as a prelude to the show a convoy of around 20 motorbikes were circling the theatre blasting out the classic songs like “Rock’n Roll Dreams Come Through” and “Bat Out Of Hell” whilst the crowd filed in. In the lobby, fervent fans queued up for the merch stand and a backdrop was on hand for the attendees to have a photo souvenir of their night. This is obviously a production that has been long anticipated in Birmingham.
Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical is a loose retelling of the Peter Pan story, with a sprinkling of Romeo and Juliet. Set in a dystopian future where a chemical incident froze the ages of a gang of 18 year olds, who now spend their days rebelling against Falco and his corporation. Falco (Rob Fowler) and his wife, Sloan (Sharon Sexton) and daughter, Raven (Martha Kirby), live in a protected tower above the wasteland outside. We join the scene on the eve of Raven’s 18th Birthday. She witnesses The Lost, the gang of frozen-in-time youths, causing mayhem on the streets and becomes infatuated with them – in particular their leader, Strat (Glenn Adamson). From here, we are taken on a two hour adventure, sound tracked by the best of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman.
Its worth here, taking a moment to mention that this tour of Bat Out Of Hell is dedicated to the memory of Jim Steinman. Jim Steinman worked with and wrote the music and lyrics of all three of the Bat out of Hell albums with Meat Loaf. Steinman passed away in April of 2021 at the age of 73. A prolific songwriter and composer who worked not just with Meat Loaf but also with Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Cher among others. Jim Steinman was a huge figure and a massive influence on rock and heavy metal of the 70s and 80s, and when he passed Meat Loaf said of him, “We didn’t know each other, we were each other.”
Often eccentric and flamboyant, Steinman first started writing the production now known as Bat Out of Hell back in 1968, but kept developing it until the late 90s when it started to take form as Bat Out of Hell and finally was bought to stage in 2015. This along with his musical output with Meat Loaf and others is a massive legacy to leave behind, and the world is slightly dimmer with him gone.
This production is stuffed full of huge songs that, even if you’re not the biggest Meat Loaf fan (and why not?), you’ll recognise and hum along to. We hear brilliant renditions of Bat out of Hell and I’d Do Anything For Love (but I won’t do that) and really well performed renditions of Its All Coming Back To Me Now, Dead Ringer For Love and Rock and Roll dreams come through.
The stage setting is brilliantly conceived: a neat touch is that in with the cast, a crew member circulates with a video camera that shows on a screen above the stage, taking the audience closer to the action. With a filter made to look like an old decayed VHS, it has the appearance of a home video from the 80s, suiting the old-but-new aesthetic of the setting. Be prepared for all the trimmings here: big songs, big production, big voices.
The cast are brilliant throughout. We have two sets of leads: star-crossed lovers, Strat (Glenn Adamson) and Raven (Martha Kirby), and the Ravens parents rediscovering their love for each other, Falco (Rob Fowler) and Sloane (Sharon Sexton). Rob and Sharon have been playing their roles since the productions inception in 2015 and their chemistry and familiarity shows. Just wait until you see them having an absolute ball in Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Glenn Adamson as Strat is fantastic as our lead. His vocals aren’t Meat Loafs, but a different approach to the classics from the albums. He has a real voice for rock and his interactions and symmetry with Martha Kirby really brings the show to life. Without these two being as good as they are, the story just wouldn’t work. Its a credit to them that they make the audience feel everything they sing on stage. A phenomenal performance from them.
Of the supporting cast of The Lost, Zahara (Joelle Moses) is being romantically pursued by Jagwire (James Chisholm) and they do a brilliant performance of one of our favourites, Two Out Of Three Aint Bad. Tink, played by Killian Thomas Lefevre is a member of The Lost whose age was frozen significantly younger than the rest. He is Strats best friend and feels edged out by Strats romance with Raven. Beyond these, Danny Whelan as LeDoux and Kellie Gnacuk as Valkyrie also sing wonderful parts in Objects in the Rear View Mirror.
The choreography is perfect throughout. Not a single movement out of place. Adding to how talented this whole cast is. From the leading stars, to those in the ensemble. Each member who performed last night should be proud of themselves. Talent in abundance.
A real treat is that all the music is played by a live band hidden away underneath the stage. Led by Robert Emery, they do a fantastic job of playing REAL LOUD all of the numbers. What a brilliant job that must be, playing these awesome songs night after night after night.
All in all, this is a show that was worth the wait. We’ve been waiting for years to see this, and this probably the closest we will come to seeing Meat Loaf live, as he doesn’t tour anymore. I won’t lie, several songs sent shivers up my spine and gave me goosebumps and it made me really happy to hear these tracks live. To also be backed by such a fun production. If you have the chance to see this you definitely should. Its easily the best musical we have seen at The Alex so far. It sets a high bar for the rest of the year.
Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical is at the Alexandra Theatre until January 15th 2022. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/bat-out-of-hell/
Disclaimer: We were invited along to the press showing. All thoughts and opinions are entirely our own. Professional photos provided by The Alexandra Theatre, taken by Cara Watterson.