[AD – PR invite*]
★★★
Something I didn’t expect to happen in 2025 was being able to watch the current UK tour of ‘Bat Out of Hell’ in both London and Canterbury. I booked the London run back in February and then in the Spring it was announced that the tour would be coming to my local venue of the Marlowe Theatre. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to watch the show on opening night here in the city. ‘Bat Out of Hell’ has created a musical theatre legacy for Jim Steinman’s songwriting, with most of the songs made famous by Meat Loaf. Even though I believe the musical has its flaws, specifically regarding the clarity of the narrative, it is one that I will always return to due to the overall enjoyment factor and the incredible musical performances.
About the show
From the very first note, you are in for an adrenaline-filled rock and roll ride with the cast and band. It is loosely based on the story of Peter Pan, and sees young lovers Strat and Raven pursue a relationship even though the former is one of ‘The Lost’ and will be 18 years old forever. The Lost are subject to abuse from Raven’s father and the tyrannical leader Falco, who is in an unhappy marriage with Raven’s mother Sloane. Despite the ongoing conflict and clashes, the couple are desperate to be together and the musical follows their relationship journey.
Storytelling
The central characters’ stories are told through a mixture of dialogue and musical performances, with the latter very much outweighing the opportunity for sufficient storytelling. Audiences are thrown in at the deep end and it is easy to get lost in the apocalyptic themes and the vast number of songs. That being said, if you appreciate this musical for what it is: a celebration of Jim Steinman’s epic songs, you will come away enjoying the production.
Electric cast performances
Glenn Adamson and Katie Tonkinson lead the company as Strat and Raven, and audiences get to experience the magic of their powerhouse vocals on stage for over 2 hours. At this performance, they were supported by Joshua Dever and Beth Woodcock as Falco and Sloane, who brought so much power and charisma to the performance. It was my first time watching the show without original West End cast members Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton in these roles, but the material is in safe hands. Ryan Carter and Georgia Bradshaw also have so much chemistry as Jagwire and Zahara, and I found myself championing their budding romance, more so than I did in the 2022/23 tour.
A concert more than a musical
‘Bat Out of Hell’ will always be my guilty pleasure jukebox musical. The storyline is limited and with a scaled back set to the previous tour, it is mostly just an exciting display of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s hits. Fans of the legendary music will adore the energy of it all. It also shines a light on the vocal talents of the cast – most notably Katie Tonkinson who catapulted the vocals to unreal levels in ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ and Glenn Adamson’s incredible rendition of the title track. You can catch the show in Canterbury until Saturday 2nd August, with last minute tickets available via the theatre’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Bat Out of Hell’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
Comments