BOOH

Bat Out of Hell

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Reviewed by Michelle Ewen

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐

Having electrified petrol-heads and die-hard rockers around the globe, ‘Bat Out of Hell’ has once again returned to its spiritual home almost eight years to the day it made its world premiere in Manchester. 

An award-winning smash hit, this global phenomenon brings to life the musical genius of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf in a production that is practically impossible not to sing along to (though audience participation is understandably discouraged). 

With Glenn Adamson, Sharon Sexton and Rob Fowler reprising their iconic roles of Strat, Sloane and Faldo respectively, the principals are completed by powerhouse vocalist Katie Tonkinson, who plays Raven. 

Set in the dystopian near future, the action takes place in the city of Obsidian (formally Manhattan), where a band of anarchic bikers live in a subterranean network of tunnels – condemned by a DNA-altering earthquake to be forever 18.

Above ground, devoted father Falco (Rob Fowler) would do anything for love, but when it comes to letting his wayward daughter Raven (Katie Tonkinson) spread her wings with the leader of The Lost, rock ‘n’ roll-loving Strat (Glenn Adamson)… He won’t do that. 

Preoccupied with putting the brakes on Raven’s love affair, Falco is oblivious to another drama under his roof at Falco Towers: his bored and frustrated wife Sloane (Sharon Sexton) is feeling ‘All Revved Up with No Place to Go’. 

Can Falco and Sloane put their own problems in the rearview mirror, team up and stop Raven joining Strat in the underground tunnels and becoming one of The Lost? The stage is set to see whose ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Dreams Come Through’. 

If the plot sounds convoluted and paper-thin, that’s because it is. Not that it matters.  After all, we’re all there for the music, which is why it’s fantastic to see the eight-piece live band situated prominently on the stage with their virtuoso skills on full display. 

Equally impressive are the vocals throughout, with Sexton and Fowler delivering a truly show-stopping rendition of ‘What Part of My Body Hurts the Most’, and Ryan Carter (Jagwire), Carly Burns (Valkyrie) and Luke Street (Ledoux) emoting ‘Objects in the Rearview Mirror’ to perfection. 

Adamson’s big vocal moment comes with his performance of the titular number ‘Bat Out of Hell’, where pyrotechnics, blood, glitter bombs and a cataclysmic motorcycle crash bring Act One to a rip-roaring close. His voice is a match made in heaven for Tonkinson, with the pair duetting seamlessly on ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’. 

While the music and vocals are beyond reproach, some of the acting choices are questionable – notably Adamson’s over-exaggerated facial expressions which, at times, border on maniacal; however, Sexton’s Sloane is deliciously irreverent, and Carla Bertran is joyfully childlike as Tink. Full credit to both Sloane and Fowler too for romping fearlessly on a Cadillac in their underwear during a raunchy rendition of ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’.

Some technical choices work better than others. The roving handheld camera adds a multimedia effect to the production – giving an alternative perspective to the on-stage action, with players interacting with the camera to great effect. More distracting is the curious choice to have every player singing into a hand-held microphone, necessitating some fiddling around as they unholster and re-holster their mics multiple times through set pieces. Jon Bausor’s set looks flimsy compared to previous productions, which detracts from the overall ‘wow’ factor of the show. Staging-wise, however, the tunnel works brilliantly as a device for spectacular entries and exits. 

Casting-wise, when the current run ends, this reviewer would be curious to see ‘Bat Out of Hell’ rebirthed with a younger cast – more in-keeping with the characters’ status as forever-teens. 

Overall, however, this production – directed by Jay Scheib – hangs together very well as a series of high-energy set pieces and crackling duets. The principals are a set of safe hands and, if their curtain call speech is anything to go by, there is a genuine, enduring love for the musical among the whole cast. 

It was genuinely touching to listen to Sexton lead a tribute to Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf – hoping they would be looking down favourably from heaven (or maybe up from hell) – and the audience were especially appreciative when Sexton acknowledged Manchester and gave a nod to its status as hosts of the world premiere. 

For this reviewer, having been to all three runs in 2017, 2021 and now 2025, it’s a case of ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’. But while the current production may not be a perfect five out of five, there is still plenty to celebrate – not least the very talented cast, crew, creatives and musicians who continue to honour Steinman and Meat Loaf through their hard work. 

Bat Out of Hell is on at the Palace Theatre Manchester until Saturday, 8 March. Tickets available here.

Bat Out Of Hell

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Reviewed by Michelle Ewen

Opening Night Verdict ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The ‘Bat’ is back in town! Four long years since its world premiere at the Opera House Manchester in 2017, Bat Out of Hell – the award-winning hit musical – has finally come home to Quay Street. Announcing its return with a victorious lap of roaring motorcycles, smoking tyres, gasoline fumes and lashings of leather, this is a production you could see, hear and taste before anyone had even set foot on stage!  

A frenetic fusion of Peter Pan meets Mad Max, Jim Steinman originally conceived Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell as a musical. It took four decades for that vision to be fulfilled – and it was worth the wait.

Enter Strat (Glenn Adamson), the charismatic leader of The Lost – a collective of rock n’ roll-loving misfits who, following a DNA-freezing earthquake, are condemned to be forever 18. Living in a network of tunnels beneath Obsidian (formerly known as Manhattan), The Lost are the scourge of city leader Falco (Rob Fowler), whose disaffected daughter Raven (Martha Kirby) and hilariously disenchanted wife Sloane (Sharon Sexton) reside with him in Falco Towers.

When Raven discovers a discarded T-shirt following The Lost’s latest protest in Falco Square, she locks eyes with its owner – Strat – setting the two on a romantic collision course that bristles with high-octane energy. Raven is as determined to become one of The Lost as her parents are to stop her, but with their own relationship in dire need of a fuel injection, can Falco and Sloane get on the same page when it comes to their daughter’s future?

Scored with nearly 20 Meatloaf and Jim Steinman classics, this rambunctious rock opera comes screaming out of the gates with ‘All Revved Up with No Place to Go/Wasted Youth’. Act One continues to pack a punch with a sizzling ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ – memorably staged atop of a convertible car – and an achingly tender rendition of ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’ by out-of-step lovebirds Zahara (Joelle Moses) and Jagwire (James Chisholm). 

By contrast, Act Two starts its engine in comparative idle – a flurry of duets slowing the pace right down. Once again, Fowler and Sexton – reprising their original roles – stand out with ‘What Part of My Body Hurts the Most’, whilst Tink (Killian Thomas Lefevre) infuses ‘Not Allowed to Love’ with palpable yearning. When ‘Dead Ringer for Love’ kicks in, the production bursts back into life; then it’s a home run of stone-cold classics right to the final curtain.

This is one sexy, fleshy, no-holds-barred production with flashes of pink thong, straddled laps galore and blood-smeared abs all making an appearance on stage. Not for the faint-hearted, Jay Scheib’s superb direction errs towards comedy rather than grotesque – lending a light-hearted feel to the whole production.

There was so much to love about the cast in Version 1.0 of this musical, but rest assured, those who are returning for Version 2.0 can find joy in the performances of the latest additions to the billing. 

Glenn Adamson’s Strat is fresh and enchanting, embodying the ‘forever young’ aesthetic of The Lost, whilst Martha Kirby’s Raven is his perfect ‘Wendy’ – a wistful romantic on the cusp of love; however, the standout performance is BOOH veteran Sharon Sexton as Sloane, who goes for every laugh and smashes every vocal.  

Jon Bausor understood the assignment – bringing us a set and costume design that hits every dystopian note. Falco Towers, suspended above ‘The Deep End’ and revealed to us via roaming videocam, is a particular triumph. It feels like a truly innovative use of space, as throbbing motorcycles, a vintage car and a sofa take it in turns to appear and disappear stage left and right.

Xena Gusthart’s clever choreography gives every member of the ensemble the opportunity to shine – especially during the riot scenes and the ‘push me-pull me’ love ballads.  

Of course, this production is all about Steinman’s music. Under the supervision of Michael Reed, the band are an absolute knockout – bringing us home with a final surprise number dedicated to the hitmaker who passed in April this year. Having bounced around in their seats and sung their hearts out, the audience is finally unleashed to give a roaring ovation. 

For this reviewer, Bat Out of Hell continues to be the benchmark by which all musicals are measured… For Crying Out Loud, You Know I Love You.  

Bat Out of Hell is on at the Opera House until Saturday, 2 October. Find out more and purchase tickets here.