Bat Out of Hell the Musical

True believers in the music of Meat Loaf got their money’s worth, enjoying the lightning bolts of beautiful singing and a terrific band.

However general theatre goers were left scratching their heads at some aspects of the production, which one audience member described to me as ‘high school standard.’

The leads curiously had hand-held microphones, and awkwardly mixed performing to a roving camera, and other times to each other. The camera angles during the dialogue were at times clunky and poorly lit.

The musical has been staged in regular theatres in Europe to popular acclaim, but not enough work has been done to properly choreograph the visuals for an arena experience.

For audiences used to video wizardry at rock concerts or the Sydney Theatre Company these days it was jarring.

The music was like an oasis, some interesting images projected onto the screens and there were moments of lush entertainment. 

Rob Fowler (Falco) and Sharon Sexton (Sloane) played the middle-aged characters in the musical and their lusty love duet “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, featuring bright pink underpants, was a scream.

Act One ends with the flagship song “Bat Out Of Hell”, which was performed full throttle in classic Meat Loaf style by Glenn Adamson (Strat).

Australian lead Kellie Gnauck (Raven) was also in fine voice.

The story centres about their Romeo and Juliet style love interest from warring tribes.

Any opportunity for Adamson’s shirt to be removed was taken advantage of, and to demonstrate their infatuation the camera zoomed in on some intimate touching.

The choreography included the none too subtle manoeuvre of Raven jumping on her back and opening her legs.

I was not familiar with the songs of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf – and only a handful came across to me as solid gold hummable hits.

So it is not a Mamma Mia! or a We Will Rock You.

But I enjoyed the music and the story-line suited the glam rock catalogue, which came across as fresh under the music direction of lestyn Griffiths.

In the second act the bat got out of the hole and it ended with the audience on their feet and rain shower of glitter.

David Spicer

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

Photographer: Glenn Pokorny