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Bat Out of Hell (2025) - Greasepaint and Stage Lights - Theatre Radio Show

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Bat Out of Hell (2025)

Bat Out of Hell
Milton Keynes Theatre (UK Tour)
Review Complete
“Meatloaf would have been proud. What A Show”

Plot:
In a complete re-envisionment of Peter Pan, Strat shows Raven the unexplored world of drugs, sex and rock and roll. Raven’s parents in fast pursuit, face marital issues as Sloane feels that her husband’s fervour for life has dwindled, whereas she still feels completely in her heyday.

Set:
The set is rock arena meets musical theatre, with a deafening band onstage amidst  music-venue themed crates and thrusts with an eerie smoke-filled clearing. The set remains stationary throughout, but ample and extravagant use of props are made throughout the entirety of the production.

Review:
Bat out of Hell at Milton Keynes Theatre was certainly an experience. Even before you entered the theatre, the car park was filled with bikers in leather jackets and cruiser motorcycles. The set itself was no different in atmosphere, and the cast already being onstage before the show began really helped to set the scene. This production is loud. As a rock and metal fanatic I absolutely did not mind this, but if you are not a fan of feeling the bass verbarate through your entire body, I do not think this show is for you. I will say the sound mix was ever so slightly off at some points, with it sometimes sounding tinny or unequally balanced, but I acknowledge this would likely differ wherever you sat in the theatre.



As someone so used to Christina Bennington in the role of Raven I thought I would find it difficult to adjust, however from the first line Katie Tonkinson spoke to open the show I had already fallen in love with her interpretation. I would go as far as to say that the main four leads were practically made for their respective roles. Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton as Falco and Sloane were both absolute vocal powerhouses. They had unbelievable onstage chemistry (which is not surprising considering they are married in real life) and I truly felt like I was watching two rock gods at work. Glen Adamson who played Strat was so, so strange but I mean this in the best sense of the word. He delivered his lines with an immaturity that felt authentic to the teenage character, and his mannerisms seemed more inspired by primality than anything else. Not only did he have the pipes to carry all the knock-out songs but he had a firm enough grasp on the character to play him in such a way that diverted all senses of normality.



If you are a fan of Meatloaf or Jim Steinman’s music, then attending this show is a no-brainer. There was not one weak link in this production and I believe they hit the nail on the head getting the balance of a musical production with a rock concert feel. I would have liked to have seen a slightly more developed script, if only to further set up a musical number- sometimes characters would burst into song and it would not be all too clear why.

I think the world needs another Peter Pan adaptation like it needs a hole in the head. This being said, I am so pleasantly surprised to say that Bat out of Hell does not feel like a cheesy retelling of the classic. The gang at the forefront of the story are called ‘The Lost’ and do not age, they are rock and roll, drug and hedonism-centred teenagers whose leader, Strat, shows Raven a whole new facet to the world that she has never seen before. While yes, there are many parallels to Peter Pan, they feel more cleverly interwoven than stark and protrusive.

The supporting characters all had knock-out voices as well, although I can cite a few occasions where they seemed to drop their acting when they were singing and jump back into character again the moment the song had ended.



This is certainly a musical with a plot that should be taken with many pinches of salt. There are many aspects of the book that teeter on the edge of being inappropriate and not aligned with the laws and morals of today. One redeeming quality for this, however, I would say is the fact you can tell how immature the teenage leads are. There is no attempt in the script to make them sound any more mature than their ages would realistically allow, so as an audience you do make allowances for their behaviour considering they don't really know any better.

Thanks to a combination of the script, set design and general tone of the production, Bat out of Hell felt like it was set part in Gotham City and part the same universe as the 1994 The Crow movie- which actually felt very fitting. The cast were extremely convincing at acting like they were on various drugs, and the production itself was akin to a very deafening fever dream. Bat out of Hell did a terrific job in setting the tone using all aspects they could; lighting, sound, costume, set, props- nothing felt out of place and it was extremely immersive.


I admit that I loved the production as I am a very big fan of Meatloaf, Jim Steinman and rock and roll. Although there will always be exceptions, I would guess that the people to derive enjoyment from Bat out of Hell would be either a very young and specific demographic of youths or people who grew up in the golden age of classic rock- such as the bikers outside in the carpark.

The show was loud, bright, had about every inappropriate theme you can think of and even on occasion made use of fake blood- it is not for the faint hearted. I loved Bat out of Hell and will try my absolute hardest to see it again before the tour is up, if you love classic rock and a night well-spent in the theatre, then I would highly recommend you do the same.

Reviewer:  Claudia Lynch

Photography: Chris Davis Studio

We are Gifted tickets so that in return we may give an honest review. All comments are those of the reviewer and theirs alone.
Greasepaint and Stage Lights

Email: musicals@btinternet.com
website: www.greasepaintandstagelights.co.uk
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