It’s electrified audiences in London and New York and now, Jim Steinman’s spectacular musical, Bat Out Of Hell is back out on the highway for a spectacular UK tour.
The production brings to life the legendary anthems of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman and follows Strat, the forever young leader of rebellious gang ‘The Lost’ as he falls in love with Raven, the beautiful daughter of the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian.
This is a stage full of motorbikes, fire, stunning lighting and intelligent alternatives to 'standard' staging. It's visually stunning and from the start, the atmosphere in the auditorium is electric.
It's also fair to say that this production is an amped up reimagining of previous tours, incorporating the band and handheld mics for our leads, giving a true rock experience.
What Bat Out Of Hell has managed to do is create a story which has introduced a new generation of theatre-goers to the music of Steinman and, by extension, Meat Loaf, as well as reignite the passion for those songs in existing fans.
In a similar vein to shows like We Will Rock You, this is a two-hour rock opera with anthems that often send shivers down your spine. I've seen Bat Out Of Hell on a good few occasions, but the opening chords of the title track still make your whole body tingle.
Steinman's music encapsulates an era of excess and his iconic lyrics have a pedigree of their own as individually exquisite examples of storytelling. In fact his collaboration with Meat Loaf has been called one of the top 10 most important moments of rock history - and it's plain to see why.
This is a writer who's records have sold over 190 million copies worldwide including nine number one's which encapsulate some of the biggest songs of all time. As one guy said to his friends in the row in front, "...it's almost impossible to overestimate just how important Jim Steinman's contribution to music was".
It must be near impossible to pick and choose which of the star's hit's to include, but with song's like I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Dead Ringer For Love and Bat Out of Hell on offer, coupled with an outstanding cast the producers own description of 'an exciting over the top theatrical spectacle unlike any other' definitely rings true.
Leading our cast were Glenn Adamson as Strat and Katie Tonkinson taking on Raven. Adamson has been with the show for a number of years, taking Strat across the world via the West End. Tonkinson is comparatively new to the partnership, but both look like they could have been performing together for an eternity. With an incredibly demanding sing for both of them, their stamina and talent was infectious and it was almost impossible to take your eyes off them.
Rob Fowler (Falco) and Sharon Sexton (Sloane) are somewhat more accustomed to their roles, having originated them and subsequently played them for a number of years. It's clear playing the duo is second nature to them, which gives them licence to play around with the characters and really enjoy themselves - they're having a blast, something the audience definitely picked up on and both delivered an outstanding vocal performance, taking us on a journey of strong, belt-filled showstoppers alongside more timid, sweeter numbers.
Georgia Bradshaw and Ryan Carta gave a stunning performance as Zahara and Jagwire. Playing a classic 'boy wants girl but girl's not fussed' couple, their duets were simply outstanding. In fact, with an incredibly empowering take on the characters the entire cast made a connection with the Wolverhampton crowd tonight that meant they deserved every second of their standing ovation.
We should also give a special mention to Wolverhampton's own Sophie-Rose Emery, who understudied Valkyrie this evening and absolutely brought the house down. Her vocals were insane and to see her representing the region, on Black Country Day, was extra special. Welcome home, Bab!
Finally, we need a moment for the ensemble who must be amongst the hardest working in the business! rarely getting chance to pause, their performances gave an extra edge to the show - especially Gerogia Iduica-Davies and Carla Bertran who seem to teleport around the stage and bring an incredible buzz of energy throughout!
Let's be absolutely clear. This isn't Sondheim. This is a fairly solid plot anchored by some of the biggest rock anthems on the planet - and that's no bad thing. There wasn't a soul in The Grand this evening who wasn't blown away and didn't impulsively rise to their feet for the bows.
There's something about this cast and this soundtrack that lends itself beautifully to a musical theatre themed, ensemble led, 20-odd part harmony and we're all absolutely there for it.
Bat Out Of Hell plays at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 19th July. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk.
