Review: Bat Out of Hell

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of Bat Out of Hell!
I had hoped to see Bat Out of Hell when it was first at the London Coliseum in 2017, however I sadly never got around to seeing it before it closed. Luckily though, this year it has returned to London's West End and I finally had the opportunity to see it on my Birthday weekend!

Bat Out of Hell is a jukebox musical that features the songs from American musician Meat Loaf's infamous Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums. The only song from these albums that I had previously heard of prior to entering the theatre was the title song, 'Bat Out of Hell'. I was experiencing all of the other music within the show for the very first time, and I am thrilled to be saying that I was truly stunned by the music, particularly the ballads. The score is undoubtedly extremely unique; the melodies, as well as the lyrics, are really something else. For me personally, the highlights of the score are: 'Bat Out of Hell', 'For Crying Out Loud', 'Dead Ringer for Love', 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now', and last but certainly not least, 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)'.

Bat Out of Hell is set in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, which has now been re-named Obsidian. The show follows Strat, a mutant who will forever be 18, who leads a group named The Lost. Strat ends up falling in love with a girl named Raven, the daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian. I personally feel that the book could have been a little stronger, as it came across as being one of the weaker elements of the production. There were moments throughout the play where the story grew a little perplexing, and there were portions of dialogue which seemed to be somewhat awkward. Whilst the music is undoubtedly the main feature of the show, I feel that improving the book would still help in improving the show.

In the leading role of Strat is gifted performer Andrew Polec. I was left amazed with the amount of energy that Polec was able to maintain throughout the show; despite having both a physically and vocally demanding role. Andrew Polec also happens to be an exceedingly talented singer. By Polec's side is Christina Bennington in the role of Raven. Bennington is an incredibly captivating performer; she upholds a strong command of the stage throughout. She too also has a beautiful voice. Rob Fowler, as the tyrannical dictator Falco, is an incredibly phenomenal singer. He has a large stage presence, giving him the power and status required for a character such as Falco. At the performance I was at, Hannah Ducharme was understudying in the role of Sloane and she was tremendous. Had I not had prior knowledge that Ducharme was an understudy, I would not have guessed. Finally, I feel that Danielle Steers as Zahara is more than worthy of gaining a special mention. Steers' voice was outstanding and her duet with Wayne Robinson of the song 'Two Out of Three Ain't Bad' was sensational.

The set design, which has been created by John Bausor, was among the largest I had ever seen on a West End stage, therefore allowing Bat Out of Hell to portray several different locations effectively. To fully describe the extent to how large this set design was, not only did it include a life size car, but it also featured a pool! The different layers of the set looked particularly remarkable. The modernistic costume designs, which were also crafted by Jon Bausor, were also exceptionally well designed and the large variety of colours worked well. My only criticism for the design aspect of the show would have been the sound design, due to the fact that a fairly large portion of the songs within act one had been difficult to hear properly throughout the duration of act one. This however seemed to be resolved in act two though, and there were no longer any issues. The choreography, which has been done by Emma Portner was sublime, and all of it was carried out tremendously well by the sensational ensemble.

The featured star of Bat Out of Hell is, drum roll please... ANDREW POLEC!

Whilst this was a very strong cast, Andrew Polec seemed to be the obvious choice for featured star. The level of energy that he maintained throughout the show was like nothing else. He is an incredible singer and his renditions of all of the songs within the show were utterly remarkable. 

Now for my final verdict on Bat Out of Hell. I give Bat Out of Hell...

Despite some issues with the book, the music was absolutely incredible and both the cast and the designs were exceptional. Therefore, I have taken the decision to award Bat Out of Hell with 3 stars!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer