By: Jim Hutchins
Everyone in Plymouth’s Royal Parade knows something special is happening when they hear the engines roar and the massed Harley-Davidson motorcycles come along the road and park up outside Theatre Royal Plymouth under the huge Messenger statue. Jim Steinman’s musical, Bat Out of Hell, is back in town and the fans are here in force.
It isn’t just the bikers who’ve dressed up though and some people in the audience show up in old and new Bat Out of Hell tee-shirts, other costumes and concert tee-shirts, all proclaiming their credentials for being at this rock and roll event.
The stage is already set as we take our seats. We are at the Deep End in the tunnels under Obsidian, a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The city above rumbles ominously. As the show starts the live rock music hits you as powerfully as the 1977 Meatloaf album and you realise that the musicians are on stage with you for the whole story.
The main tale may start as the tried and tested rich guy’s daughter falling for the hero underdog, but we are fully drawn in by the songs and characters, wanting to see what happens as it unfolds. The city is run by the tyrant Falco, played powerfully by Rob Fowler who some of us may have seen in his other major roles in Mamma Mia!, Rocky Horror, The Who’s Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many other shows.
Falco wants to clear The Lost, who have been mutated by past events to stay aged eighteen forever, (in a rock and roll retelling of the JM Barrie, Peter Pan story), from The Tunnels so that he can develop the area for housing. He doesn’t realise that his daughter, Raven, who’s just turning eighteen, and Strat, a Lost Boy have seen and fallen for each other in the latest scuffles.
Glenn Adamson is back playing Strat and there’s no doubt why they’ve returned him to this lead role. Katie Tonkinson is perfect as Raven, who has found Strat’s shirt and is already obsessing about him.
These aren’t the only dynamic to watch though. We witness and are drawn in by Falco and by Sharon Sexton as his wife Sloane, perfectly playing the role of wife, lover and mother, with humour and emotional authenticity. Sharon Sexton reprising her award-winning role as Sloane, who she originally played in 2017.
Watch Ryan Carter, as Jagwire, fall for Georgia Bradshaw as Zahara, and spare a thought for Carla Bertram as Tink, frozen at a younger age than the others but who clearly, also loves Strat. Throughout the show, our eyes and attention are drawn to the intimacy of the details from the live camera visuals, blown up and projected within the set.
Many of us are here for the music though and Jim Steinman’s score is delivered perfectly in the live on-stage package. It has the audience rocking in their seats and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of the Bat Out of Hell album or here for the musical spectacle. We hear ‘Bat Out of Hell’, ‘All Revved Up With No Place To Go’, ‘Dead Ringer For Love’, ‘Heaven Can Wait’, ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’ and many others, including all the number one singles.
None of the songs are less than the original recordings. The fact that most of the songs were written for the musical and not the familiar Album only adds to their power and our enjoyment.
We now know why even Meatloaf was awestruck by Steinman’s achievement when he finally got to see the musical performed.
Do the Harley Davidsons rev up and roll up?
Yes!
Do the audience dress up and rock up?
Yes!
Finally, in Strat’s words,
“On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?”
Yes!