Bat Out Of Hell The Musical - MCR/Dominion/Tour/Peacock/Tour

Just announced it's extended the Manchester run until 29th April

Using the spoiler thingy, can anyone tell me what the car effect is?

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Haha yes! So security conscious he apparently has his own police but people just pop in and out. Oh and agree about act 2 opening. Then I thought the three guys singing 'Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are' did a lovely job and sounded really strong but could hardly concentrate for wondering why those three had been so loosely left outside of the cage. And why when free they made no attempt to free the rest inside the cage?!

Ah well it may end up one of those I still remember in ten years and laugh about!

It's all coming back to me now.

I saw this on Friday evening and must admit I approached it with a degree of caution. I can't pretend to be a huge fan of Meatloaf though I expected the songs would work well on stage, given their inherent theatrically, though the dystopian plot and the whole thing potentially being an exercise in style over substance had me feeling somewhat apprehensive.

I needn't have worried. As soon as the opening number All Revved Up With No Place To Go kicked in, the Bat Out of Hell juggernaut completely blew me away. Certainly, in terms of spectacle this show delivers big time. There’s a sense that a million and one things have been thrown at the production but against the odds a lot of it sticks. So much is often happening at the same time on stage, that one viewing arguably isn't enough to take everything in. Whether the quirky filming of scenes in Raven's bedroom on the upper part of the set really adds anything other than compensating for the poor sightlines is a moot point but from the front row of the Circle where I was sat it added an interesting if slightly redundant extra layer to proceedings.

Ensuring the songs are done full justice, the casting of this show is a triumph. The vocals across the board are quite simply phenomenal. In the lead roles of Strat and Raven, Andrew Polec brings a magnetic, intoxicating intensity, while Christina Bennington is, as a previous post put it, "sexy as hell" with an "effortless incredible rock belt"! What I particularly liked about Christina's vocals is the control to her voice, with plenty of light and shade rather than X Factor style attempts to deliver every note at full throttle. But boy can she turn it up when she needs to! The chemistry between the two leads is electric.

The rest of the cast are also very strong, Sharon Sexton almost stealing the show in the epic Paradise By The Dashboard Light while Georgia Carling stands out in the high-energy ensemble. What a joy to see such a talented young cast at the top of their game. The songs are certainly done full justice and while I might not rush to download the original Bat Out Of Hell albums there’s no doubt I would be at the front of the queue if a cast recording were to happen!

The plot borrows elements of Peter Pan, while the theme of a beautiful maiden trapped in a tower also reminded me of Rapunzel. It's fair to say that the narrative isn't the show's strength but it's serviceable if you don't scrutinise what's happening too much. It was always going to exist primarily as a vehicle to move between songs and it serves this purpose in a quirky way, any flaws arguably proving almost irrelevant. I felt reasonably engaged by the main characters, most of whom are fairly likable, while the occasional stunt also helps to maintain the audience's attention.



If you're not a particular fan of Meatloaf I would say don't let that put you off seeing this show. If you are the owner of a Bat Out Of Hell album or three, then you simply have to see this cast performing his songs. Yes, the whole thing is as subtle as a bull in a china shop but it's also thoroughly entertaining, building to a knockout, powerhouse finale with I Would Do Anything For Love morphing from a duet into a rousing full ensemble number before the riotous curtain call. The inevitable standing ovation was hugely deserved.

As the cast vacated the stage, one audience member commented "Wow, that was incredible" and another screamed "Thank you, Manchesterrrr!". Talk about taking the words right out of my mouth.

Maybe rock and roll dreams really do come true.

Feel like a cheapskate for asking now...roll on Weds night! Sounds like a permanent contender for the Dominion once it's finished it's ENO run.

Bad: too long, too many ballads in act two, glib WWRY lite storyline.

Good: the bulk of the songs, every single voice, amazing proscenium engulfing set which when put into the theatre it was designed for will work even better and a very clever puddle. ANDREW POLEC, ANDREW POLEC, ANDREW POLEC! I am a straight 44 year old male, but...swoon! His voice is an effortless thing of power and beauty and he sells the appalling storyline as if it's Pinter, without an ounce of knowing wink or sarcasm. I didn't love the female lead but that was more to do with the arrangement of her songs and not being able to soar. She is good. IT is very, very good given that it's still in its first month and it is a load of old tosh. Did I mention how good Andrew Polec was? I'd say he was underused simply because they let others sing! Oh, and 'Bat Out of Hell' is now the best act one closer since 'Defying Gravity'.

Oh you should do Benny. I can see it doing rather well.

I'd forgotten about the dancing! Very cheesy Brian Rogers connection style movement designed to fill the stage and give everyone else something to do. My brother hated it to the point of embarrassment; I thought it worked. At least they fill the stage with it....the stage that is happy to waste a good tenth of it's playing area to set up it's massive stunt. Brave and highly unfashionable, just like the album itself.

Oh, and Danielle Steers as Zahara. Couldn't take my eyes off her. Fantastic!

I'm amazed no-one has mentuoned that stunt/illusion near the end of Act 2 when 

Ahhhh yes you did. Have you ever seen that trick done before? I cant think how that's even possible.