Bat Out Of Hell – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Book, Music and Lyrics: Jim Steinman

Director: Jay Scheib

You’re just another case of arrested development, you’re just another Wasted Youth…

Bat Out Of Hell has returned to the stage for another tour of the UK. A dystopian retelling ofPeter Pan,pitting Strat (Glenn Adamson), the leader of The Lost, a bunch of anarchists frozen at age 18, against Chief of Police Falco (Rob Fowler) who wants nothing more than to get rid of them entirely. An unanticipated meeting between Strat and Falco’s daughter Raven (Katie Tonkinson) sets in motion a love story both dangerous and obsessive, and full of rock and roll.

The show is jukebox musical of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits, remixed and reimagined by Michael Reed. While the plot is admittedly a little thin, the music and performances certainly make up for it. Return leading man Adamson is as wonderful as expected, bringing a manic and immediately likeable goblin aura to Strat. His voice is absolutely perfect for the role, making the iconic songs his own rather than trying to imitate their famed originator. His titular Bat Out Of Hell is worth the ticket price alone.

Also reprising their usual roles as Falco and wife Sloan once again are Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton. From the comedy of Paradise by the Dashboard Light to the heartbreak of What Part of My Body Hurts the Most, their chemistry and enjoyment when performing together is obvious – to be expected considering that the pair have been married in real life for a while now too, after meeting in the show’s original run. After eight years behind the mic, all three of these powerhouses have earned the rights to be praised in favourable comparison to the late great Meat Loaf himself. An accolade that is also surely in the future for Tonkinson too. While occasionally a little shrill in the singing department (all forgiven when you hear her belting out Heaven Can Wait however), her depiction of a limerence filled seventeen year old is spot on, and the scenes between her and Adamson ripple with anticipation.

The rest of the stage is filled with one of musical theatres most engaging ensembles, a riot of punk enthusiasm that it is impossible to look away from, enhanced by frenetic choreography from Xena Gusthart and visually striking costumes from Jon Bausor. In a lot of numbers, watching the ensemble is even more interesting than watching the leads as so much is going on.

There have been some changes between tours, and this iteration is the most stripped back the UK has seen. A few of these changes are great – the stage is clearer without Falco towers, and although cutting Who Needs the Young is heinous, the removal of Not Allowed to Love does mean the action flows more smoothly. Slightly less successful is the choice to use handheld microphones instead of the usual head mics. While that does enhance the gig feel, it clearly hampers some of the performers and does effect suspension of disbelief. We’re not watching a gig, we’re watching a musical.

Even so, this is a show that absolutely needs seeing if you are a fan of the source material, or if you just want a dazzling night out. It took around 50 years of Jim Steinman’s dreaming and scheming to bring Bat Out Of Hell to the stage in 2017. It must be said that it was very much well worth the wait. Long may The Lost be rocking out theatres, in whatever form they dream up next.

Runs until Saturday 3rd May 2025