Bat Out of Hell at The Alexandra, Birmingham - Review

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Mon 10 Feb 2025 - Sat 22 Feb 2025

It’s big, brash and bold - and now Bat Out of Hell is back in the UK. The award-winning musical last played The Alexandra in January 2022, and has since completed an arena tour of Australia and New Zealand. I assume we're seeing that arena version because, at times, the compact theatre stage seems too small for all the performers, sets and action.



In 2022, the band could be heard, but not seen as they were below the stage. In this new configuration they’re in view at the back of the stage, but, even so, the two guitarists are still separate from the other six members who have been shoe-horned onto a platform below two giant screens, onto which is projected a live feed of the action captured by an on-stage camera operator.

If you’ve seen Bat Out of Hell before, you’ll know that the story mixes elements of Romeo and Juliet and Peter Pan to chronicle the tale of Strat and Raven, two would-be lovers from different sides of the tracks. It all takes place in a dystopian future where some of the population, including Strat and his gang (The Lost), have been subjected to chemicals that keep them aged 18 forever. Raven, her father (tyrannical ruler Falco) and mother (Sloane), are unaffected, with Falco determined to violently wipe out The Lost and keep Raven and Strat apart.



Sometimes you wonder whether it’s worth bothering with a storyline because the music – courtesy of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf (both, sadly, no longer with us) – is fantastic. Epic tracks like Dead Ringer for Love, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad and All Revved Up With No Place to Go, accompanied by columns of flame and confetti cannons, raise the roof. The actors use handheld microphones, reinforcing the impression that we’re attending a rock concert, rather than a theatre musical.



Those who were at the 2022 show will recognise three of the show leads – Glenn Adamson as Strat, Rob Fowler as Falco and Sharon Sexton as Sloane were all part of that tour. In fact, Fowler and Sexton originated their roles back in 2017. All three obviously love what they’re doing and provide two of the show’s stand-out moments. Adamson goes maniacally over the top astride a Harley Davidson in the iconic Bat Out of Hell, while Fowler and Sexton memorably relive their teenage romance in a convertible in Paradise By the Dashboard Light.

There are other notable performances from Katie Tonkinson as Raven, Georgia Bradshaw as Zahrar, one of The Lost who works for Falco, and Carla Bertran as Tink, another Lost gang member. All of the cast are enthusiastic, despite their energetic dance routines being somewhat restricted due to lack of space!



One criticism - the 2022 production had a terrific encore of Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere) but the 2025 version at The Alexandra had no encore. Maybe one could be added for future performances. Bat Out Of Hell is at The Alexandra till February 22, 2025.

Rating: 4 out of 5


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