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Against the roar of motorbike engines down Glasgow’s Bath Street on its opening night, madcap jukebox musical Bat Out of Hell roars into the King’s with a high-octane score that will take the words right out of your mouth.
This absurd musical has a cult following for good reason. Any fan of Meat Loaf will be hard-pressed not to leave satisfied by this rocked-up dystopian tale that has more than just a hint of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan.
Centred around the forbidden love of ‘Lost’ boy Strat (Luke Street) and Raven (Katie Tonkinson), this coming-of-age story is laid against a dystopian backdrop that looms eerily close to reality in this uncertain world.
This tour is remarkably similar to previous productions but bizarrely demands the use of hand-held microphones for its principal cast – a strange concept that simply doesn’t add anything to the show.
The music of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman takes centre stage in this gothic delight. The blockbuster standards are exactly that.
Tracks like Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are might be twee in the context of Bat’s plot, but show the true depth of the pair’s incredible writing.
Luke Street and Katie Tonkinson ably lead a talented cast, each bringing their own flair to their protagonists. Street’s vocal is a glorious homage to Meat, and Tonkinson excels in her rendition of ‘All Coming Back To Me Now’.
As Raven’s warring parents, Sharon Sexton and Rob Fowler are a welcome fixture as Sloane and industrial giant Falco. The couple – on stage and off – deliver a devious, high-octane ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ and a devastating ‘What Part of My Body Hurts The Most’.
Only Georgia Bradshaw (Zahara) and Ryan Carter (Jagwire) fail to sizzle in their chemistry, more preoccupied with careless riffing which stray from the otherwise careful homage to Meat.
It takes considerable restraint not to be totally taken up in the spectacle of this raw rock revival. Audiences are warned to leave it to the professionals – and that they should, given the wealth of talent on stage.
Glasgow’s bats only come out at night. Luckily, this Bat offers a few matinees too.
Bat Out of Hell at King’s Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday 19th April 2025, then touring
Photo Credit: Chris Davis Studio
