Bat Out of Hell – Review by Nina Jervis-Green

August 5, 2025

Thanks to Nina Jervis-Green from www.ninathewriter.com for this review.

Watching Bat Out of Hell felt like eavesdropping on an ‘in’ joke shared between a group of close friends. Suddenly, everyone collapses in fits of laughter, leaving you wondering what on earth was so funny.

I say that because almost every aspect of this insanely popular musical baffled me. Why were the cast using awkward hand-held microphones to speak and sing? Why was there a cameraman blocking our view of key scenes, just to project them – unnecessarily – onto a big screen above the stage? Why was there no discernible plot?

As with most jukebox musicals, the audience is there for the songs rather than the story. (That sentence is starting to feel old and worn. Is it honestly too much to ask for an interesting tale to go with all the iconic music?). In this case it’s classic Meat Loaf songs, penned by Jim Steinman, who also wrote the show’s book. These lengthy songs are belted out by the undoubtedly talented and competent cast, in a heavy musical-theatre style that put me in mind of the ill-fated TV show, Glee.

I had to resort to the show’s programme to understand the plot, which is a lumpy mash-up of Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, and The Lost Boys. It’s set in a dystopian version of Manhattan, which is now called Obsidian – though if I hadn’t read that I wouldn’t have known it. Obsidian is ruled by the tyrannical Falco (Rob Fowler). His daughter Raven (Katie Tonkinson) is in love with the rebellious Strat (Glenn Adamson), who is the leader of The Lost: a group of youngsters who will forever remain 18. (Perhaps unwisely, the cameraman zoomed right in on the 30-year-old Adamson’s face as he explains his inability to age beyond 18, which did a great job of whipping me out of the story).

Raven must break free of her parents to join The Lost and be with the man she loves – but will she succeed? There are plenty of obstacles along the way, not least the familiar character of Tink (Carla Bertran), Strat’s best friend, who deeply resents Raven.

There were some high(ish) points. The live band was a pitch-perfect powerhouse throughout, and for me the stand-out performer was Ryan Carter as Jagwire, The Lost’s second-in-command. His vocals, particularly on Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad – a duet with Zahara (Georgia Bradshaw) – were crisp and stellar. The multi-level set is imposing and impressive, cameraman aside.

Unfortunately, these points weren’t quite enough to stem my complete and utter bafflement at this musical’s enduring popularity. Maybe you have to be a die-hard Meat Loaf fan, or you need to be willing to give yourself over completely to the fantasy world on stage. I’m not and I couldn’t, but if you are and you can, then you might enjoy this show as much as the majority of the audience clearly did.