By Roger Crow
I remember every little thing like it happened only yesterday… even if it was five years ago.
For decades I had been listening to Meat Loaf, like millions of others, and when the chance came to see Bat Out of Hell: The Musical during its world premiere in Manchester, I jumped at the chance. (You may even have read the review in which I probably used many of the same superlatives and puns as this one).
Meat Loaf’s vocals and Jim Steinman’s lyrics were a marriage made in heaven, while those Bat albums had long been a stage show waiting to happen. When it finally did in 2017, the result was magical. Epic, funny, sexy, dramatic, and everything you want if you’re travelling 150 miles there and back for the privilege.
It was there that I marvelled at all the cast, especially Rob Fowler (who pulled off one of the most thrilling stunts I’ve seen in the theatre) and the sublime Sharon Sexton. As crime lord Falco and his moll, Sloane, they were beyond terrific, while the rest of the characters, including star cross’d lovers Strat (the eternally young hero) and Falco/Sloane’s willowy daughter Raven were equally as magnetic.
I didn’t need much persuading to see it again when it played in the West End, and as it opened at Hull New Theatre, I was fascinated to see how a scaled-down version worked compared to bigger venues.
Okay, Falco’s jaw-dropping stunt has gone, as has a gag at the end of Paradise by the Dashboard Light (one of the greatest things you’ll see in the theatre). However, on the plus side, so has an extraneous song which slowed the original shows down. So it’s now a leaner, tighter production, but it still doesn’t feature a Steinman song which would have slotted into the show as perfectly as a hand in a leather glove.
Tonight is What it Means to Be Young, from the movie Streets of Fire, was never planned for any version of BOOH, and yet I’d pay good money to see at least one version with the 1984 track slotted in.
Back to the actual show, and Glenn Adamson is a force of nature as Strat, the ripped hero with wild eyes, perfect teeth and vocals to die for. Quite rightly he looks like he’s been plucked from the iconic Richard Corben cover, while Rebecca Lafferty is superb as Raven. Again, outstanding vocals and her stage chemistry with Strat is a joy to behold.
As magnificent as Joelle Moses is as supporting character Zahara, her vocal stylings mean lyrics last a second too long on several occasions. That mental breath a great song needs before starting the next section is wasted, so it feels like we’re rushing to catch up. (One of Zahara’s lines in the original stage production’s soundtrack annoys me every time, so it’s one of those ongoing issues). However, Joelle’s take on Dead Ringer (with the outstanding James Chisholm as Jagwire), and many other classics, are pulse-pounding delights.
And five years on, following a stint in Mamma Mia! at the same venue, the magnificent Rob and Sharon are still working their magic as Falco and Sloane. (That duo could star in a musical about the phone book and I’d happily attend).
Any fears that I had of the show looking small in one of my favourite venues were unfounded. Thanks to some clever projection and screen work, for those of us in the stalls, the scale of the neon-soaked city was hugely impressive.
Kudos to the musicians, conducted by Iestyn Griffiths, who do justice to the material, and then some. My goosebumps had goosebumps at some points, the orchestration was that good. (The sound is so seismic, think of Nigel Tufnell’s amp turned up to 111 and you get the idea).
It’s very rare that I see a show more than twice; some shows I can barely make it to the finale of that first viewing, but as with the first two performances of BOOH in previous years, all I can think about is how can I see the show again as many times as possible before that final night (which naturally I have tickets for).
Obviously it won’t be for all tastes, but given the rapturous applause and standing ovation, I reckon I’m not the only punter ready to return to Hull New Theatre as soon as possible.
If you’ve never seen the show and love a feelgood, jaw-dropping, hilarious dramatic spin on Romeo and Juliet and Peter Pan filtered through a cyberpunk lens, then for crying out loud, do yourself a favour and go and see it as soon as possible. Because then you can go again before the end of its run. It’s THAT good.
And for the record, I didn’t mention a single Bat Out of Hull gag. You’re welcome.