Rating: ★★★★
Venue: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Cast: Luke Street, Harriet Richardson-Cockerline, Katie Tonkinson, Rob Fowler, Georgia Iudica-Davis, Ryan Carter, Carla Bertran and Carly Burns
The iconic music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf will once again shake the stage, delivering an electrifying journey that will ignite your love for rock like never before. This heart-pounding experience, with a powerhouse eight-piece live band on stage, delivers a new production with sprawling multi-level platforms to transport you from Raven’s bedroom to the underground world of the Lost in a visual feast that pushes the boundaries of live theatre.
The beloved Jim Steinman jukebox musical Bat Out of Hell is currently flying around the country on a UK Tour, featuring a phenomenal cast packing a punch on stage with their soaring vocals and energetic dance routines. Along with pyrotechnics, a motorbike and an excellent band, this all makes for a great night out. The plot is weak and confusing at best, but this is a show that does not pretend to be a story for the ages. Instead, it thrives on its sensational music and the iconic Meatloaf tracks we all know and love.
The musical is Peter Pan-inspired, with a hint of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, as our protagonist Raven (played by powerhouse Katie Tonkinson) tries to break free from her parents to join ‘The Lost’ a group of rebel kids who will always be stuck aged 18, led by Raven’s love interest Strat (at this performance, played superbly by alternate Luke Street).
Both Katie and Luke are excellent, embodying the rock’n’roll nature of the show, and their vocals impress both individually and in their duets. They are joined by a personal stagey favourite of mine, the always brilliant Ryan Carter as Jagwire, whose vocals have a depth that’s not easy to come by. His Jagwire was complemented very well by his counterpart Zahara, played at this performance by Georgia Iudica-Davis.
The final duo to complete the line-up of leads are the talented Rob Fowler and, at this performance, Harriet Richardson-Cockerline, who play Raven’s parents Falco and Sloane, respectively. Rob has been with the show since its inception in 2017 and it’s clear to see how he has honed his craft over the years. Together, they make a dynamic duo with good comedic timing and a striking stage presence. A mention must also go to the ensemble cast, who shone on stage under Jay Scheib’s direction and danced each number with an admirable amount of energy.
Of course, the real draw for most of the audience is the show’s iconic soundtrack. We are treated to hit after hit from Jim Steinman and Meatloaf’s back catalogue, and it’s in the music where the show really reaches its full potential. Each song is almost concert-like, with the volume on full blast and the cast’s vocals raising the roof. However, whenever the actors speak or sing, they use handheld microphones, which is useful in portraying the concert-like nature of the show, but it is unusual and clunky for a musical.
Interesting camera work features throughout the show too, giving us close-up insights projected onto a large screen above the stage, with Bat being one of the first to use on-stage cameras in this way. It’s a clever way of changing scenes without manoeuvring much set and scenery, but given the success of intricate on-stage camera work in many productions since, here it feels a little outdated and less slick than others.
One thing that isn’t outdated is the presentation of the show. The set and costume design by Jon Bausor are inspired, with the vast open-plan stage and a cave-like set piece in the corner giving a lot of space for the cast to really shine, and the costumes perfectly represent a glam-rock era with lots of grungy, dark tones contrasted with pops of colour.
There’s no doubting the appeal of this show - a fun, rock’n’roll spectacle with a ‘wow’ cast who more than carry the weak book they are working with. The story could do with work, and the show does struggle in the parts that are more dialogue-heavy, with the audience almost waiting for the next musical number. Despite this, Bat Out of Hell is a great way to see iconic songs be brought to life by the spectacular voices and high energy of its excellent company.
You can book tickets to the UK tour of Bat Out of Hell, here.
Review by Vickie
**photo credit: Chris Davis Studio**
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