Aussie Lead of Bat Out Of Hell

With the national arena tour of Bat Out of Hell the Musical underway, David Spicer speaks to Kellie Gnauck, who has scored the lead role of RAVEN.  

From a shy performer with the Gosford Musical Society in NSW, Kellie is now lighting up arenas in the musical crafted from the songs of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf.

Kellie, congrats on your lead role. How exciting is it to perform in these large arenas?

Thank you so much! Getting to perform this show on such a massive scale is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I’m so excited to get to sing these epic songs in these incredible venues where some of our biggest pop and rockstars have performed.

To help those not familiar with the musical, what is the basic storyline?

I always describe the story as “Romeo and Juliet meets Peter Pan, mixed in with some rock n roll anthems”. We follow the story of our two love interests “Strat” and “Raven” meeting, falling in love and everything that comes with that.

What is your character’s journey?

I think I’m quite lucky with the character of Raven because she goes through the biggest journey that we see in the show. She starts as quite an innocent young girl, very much kept away from the rest of the world and we see her grow into this woman who is strong and capable and the ultimate voice of rock n roll.

How are Jim’s songs integrated into the story?

Jim’s songs lend themselves so well into the show because they’re already so theatrical in how they were written. None of them feel like they’ve been placed in there just for the sake of it. They all work so well within the story and there’s so much story in each individual song… that’s the brilliance of Jim’s work.

What are your favourite songs and why?

My favourite song must be “It’s all coming back to me now”. I’ve always loved the song and the fact I get to sing it every night is something I will always be grateful for. Second to that I’d have to choose “What part of my body” … we all know it’s a brilliant song, but when you hear Rob and Sharon sing it, you’ll understand why it’s a favourite in the show.

What can audiences look forward to in respect of SFX?

I don’t want to give away too much here… but just be prepared for fire, for some fancy camera work and a whole world of confetti.

Did you manage to meet Jim when you were in the show elsewhere?

Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to meet Jim before he passed, but I know some of the original cast did.

Tells us a little about your journey to get here. What was your experience in community theatre?

I started in amateur theatre with the Gosford Musical Society. I’m pretty sure I used to find set pieces to hide behind on stage. I was terrified but there was always something stronger inside me that would force me to stay on that stage. As I got older, I went to performing arts college, worked professionally overseas for a few years before moving to London to work in the West End and around the UK, and then finally have come full circle and I’m back here where it all began.

Where did you train?

I trained at ED5 International in Sydney, although I always say to people, the best training I had was on the job.

Was it difficult getting this role?

For me, it’s been a long old journey to Raven. I don’t think any job is ever easy to get in this industry, but Raven had been on my radar for almost six years before I was offered the part.

Finally (yes this is a corny question on purpose) – do you like eating Meat Loaf? If yes – which variety?

Haha unfortunately, I’ve never actually tried meatloaf. I’m mostly vegan now so I may have missed my shot there.

NATIONAL TOUR DATES:

Friday 27 January 2023 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Monday 30 January 2023 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thursday 2 February 2023 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena
Saturday 4 February 2023 - RAC Arena, Perth 
Wednesday 8 February 2023 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne