Bat Out Of Hell 🦇

#PRInvite #Gifted | If you’re a real dead ringer for music, madness and Meat Loaf: ‘Bat Out of Hell’ is the perfect show to catch this week. Rock and roll dreams come true in this dystopian version of a classic tale, with the show returning to Aberdeen by popular demand.

Star rating: ★★★★★

Stop right there: the sensational ‘Bat out of Hell’ returns to Aberdeen in a blaze of fire and confetti - playing at the gorgeous His Majesty’s Theatre for the week. The jukebox musical, first developed in 2017, features the music, lyrics and the book by Jim Steinman, based on the album of the same name by Meat Loaf. Though it has never played Broadway, ‘Bat out of Hell’ has seen great success globally, transferring to London’s West End after its Manchester try-outs, also appearing in Toronto, Oberhausen and in an off-Broadway venue in New York City. The show has also enjoyed several national tours internationally, with a North American and UK tour previously. The production arrives back in Aberdeen, ready to rip-roar through the Granite Mile - kicking off to a great start last night.

Similarly to the recent tour of ‘& Juliet’, this is not a biographical jukebox musical about either Meat Loaf or Jim Steinman. The songs of the album are moulded to fit a loose retelling of Peter Pan; only, this is set in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, a setting and type of society where you’d wish to Neverland. Though of course, the resemblance to the classic story is uncanny, I thought ‘Bat Out of Hell’ came in a similar vein to ‘Footloose’ too - and I enjoyed watching the show through both lenses. The story follows Raven, who despite turning eighteen, is governed by her parents and wants to break free. She meets Strat: the opposite type of man her mother father would wish for his daughter. Strat, leader of the Lost Boys, is a petrol-head who never seems to age, addicted to sex, drugs and rock and roll. But when Raven’s mother, Sloane, recalls her experience of being young in love - when her life was more hum than humdrum - the dynamic is aggressively split, meaning that the family of three have to work their way back to each other - having to accept that they’d do anything for love.

Though the allusions and intertextuality towards 'Peter Pan' are interesting, the plot of Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' doesn't quite hold up to Max Martin's '& Juliet'. The references sometimes crow-barred in, or on-the-nose, so it lacks the emotional richness and depth the earlier jukebox musical tour is so good for.

Truth be told, the plot of the show is the weakest part. However, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is the incredible show that exists because of its unorthodox staging, tireless choreography - and obviously, the incredible music featuring Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits. Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, right? From the very first chord, the show is electric - I don’t actually know how the cast manage to do this considering I’m out of breath after simply climbing up the stairs to my classroom in the morning.

'Before we go any further', did I love it? Oh yes...

Though this tour is a very close match to the previous production which arrived in Aberdeen in 2022, some elements have been enhanced and reinvented which was great to see. ‘Bat Out of Hell’ utilises a live camera feed throughout the majority of the show, which creates a unique viewing experience for the audience. The storytelling and characterisation in the show is amplified by the use of different camera angles and shots, constantly offering a new perspective, or additional layers to full ensemble numbers. I really appreciated getting an enhanced view of facial expressions at pivotal moments; working also to give the traditional musical format a facelift, and portray this as a rock concert. New for the current tour is an additional viewing panel which allows the audience to watch the action unfold - particularly effective when this happens at one side, which I imagine could be difficult to see from some areas of the auditorium. It was great to see a similar technology used on Broadway’s ‘West Side Story’ and recent ‘Sunset BLVD’ revival on an Aberdeen stage, working in tandem with projections - all coordinated by Associate Video Designer, Rob Casey.

The set design has been reconfigured slightly, too. It is more industrialised and captures a dystopian city much better than it previously did. With the band being repositioned on to the stage in addition, the show feels more like a concert than ever before, and it is perfectly fitting. Though there were definite improvements, I did prefer the previous touring set - feeling this time around, the build looked a bit more flat-pack, lacking dimension, and it was unfortunate that the set pieces which should be hidden are visible at the back of the stage as this ruins the allusions somewhat. The costume design remains slick, supervised by Jennie Quirk.

My one fault with the refreshed tour is the use of handheld microphones for the duration of the show. This is not unexpected, being a nod to the Steinman and Meat Loaf experience, but I really felt this made the chemistry between actors clunky, and ruined the heart of some scenes, without the necessary emotion. I welcomed the use of the handheld microphones for the numbers in which these fit perfectly, but they should have been abandoned during dialogue or intimate songs.

Rock and roll dreams come true with Michael Reeds musical supervision and additional arrangements for the show. At all times, the cast sound extraordinary, musically directed by Iestyn Griffiths. Each song is strategically placed, transitioning through moments of high action, to softer and more inward performances. Perhaps also one of the loudest shows to grace HMT’s stage, the beat is definitely theirs forever, and there is nothing quite like hearing the vocal and live band arrangements for the show, orchestrated by Steve Sidwell. The soloists are incredible, but it is the ensemble backing vocals which make the magic of Meat Loaf come to life.

‘Bat Out of Hell’ sports an impressive 17 of Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits, including ‘Dead Ringer for Love’, ‘Paradise By the Dashboard Light’, ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’ and ‘You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)’. Lyrically, these songs are fascinating and more than deserving to be translated to the stage. Married with some great effects, including pyrotechnics and confetti, the musical can now be enjoyed as the perfect tribute to the late musical greats, who died in 2021 and 2022 respectively. This is one of the closest ways anyone will get to the Meat Loaf experience going forward since then.

The show’s programme doesn’t actually credit the original choreographer of ‘Bat Out of Hell’ which is a baffling oversight, as this was phenomenal. Research tells me that this is delivered by Emma Portner and Zena Gusthart, and their work is a fantastic rival for the musical direction. The ensemble were expertly positioned in a variety of shapes and moves to challenge anyone’s core - so how the cast sound as incredible as they do whilst performing genuinely beats me. ‘Bat Out of Hell’ contains some of the best choreography I have ever seen in a musical, complimented by the show’s lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe and Rob Casey.

The two bodies in rhyme are Katie Tonkinson and Glenn Adamson as Raven and Strat respectively. Whilst Tonkinson is new to her role, Adamson reprises his performance of Strat from the previous tour, and is exceptional. Both clearly demonstrate their flawless vocals, taking on hits such as ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’. It was lovely to see Tonkinson return to the HMT stage after her stint as Bonnie in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ last year - the show in which started the PR journey for TheatreGram!

Also returning to the production are Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton having originated the roles in London as Falco and Sloane. Both following suit with their vocal offerings, with Sexton bringing a comedic edge to the partnership and seemed to have even more fun with her character this time around. It is a great opportunity to hear the original vocalists on the Original Cast Recording live in Aberdeen - an experience that doesn’t usually happen on tour!

The leading principals are rounded out by Georgia Bradshaw as Zahara and Ryan Carter as Jagwire. Both had such distinct voices and were truly a pleasure to hear throughout. Carla Bertran is Tink, alongside Luke Street as Ledoux.

Making this cast of ‘Bat Out of Hell’ that bit more special is Reece Duncan, who returns to his hometown of Aberdeen as in the Swing role of Esquivel. Though it was a pleasure to see Duncan return to the HMT stage in his second professional UK tour, I am jealous of Thursday’s audiences getting to see him take on the role of Ledoux. Duncan left Aberdeen to train at Emil Dale Academy in 2018, and is one of many performers from the Granite City to prove why some of the best talent in musical theatre of late have been nurtured here.

Though the plot and the book of ‘Bat Out of Hell’ aren’t the strongest, the electricity of the show outweighs this - with the staging being truly unique, and would have you giving your throat to the wolves on a hot summers’ night. The production is fulled by sex, drugs and rock and roll - but is woven together by complex relationships, politics and forgetting what it means to be young. It is loud, tenacious and will have spirits soaring from the fiery pits of hell. The hair-raising show is in town until Saturday, and like a Bat Out of Hell, it will be gone when Sunday morning comes. Don’t miss it.

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts, @batthemusical

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts