Bat Out of Hell – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Glenn Adamson and Katie Tonkinson in Bat Out of Hell at the Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring. Picture: Chris Davis Studio

Bat Out of Hell was reviewed at the Milton Keynes Theatre where it continues until 28 June 2025. The tour continues until 20 September 2025.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It may be some years since Meat Loaf dominated the pop charts, but in this new revival of Jim Steinman’s electrifying hit musical Bat Out of Hell, those penetrating rock ballads are welcomed back in a dazzling production.

This is a show which blows full throttle, with an energetic and highly talented cast, bringing those memorable hits to life in a way that keeps you wanting more.

The stage at Milton Keynes Theatre is transformed into a dark, mysterious underworld – home to the elusive Lost, a gang of Goth-like youths who live underground in this heady dystopian melodrama. Part Peter Pan, part Romeo and Juliet, it’s a tale of forbidden love set against a backdrop of totalitarian enforcement, good versus bad and the struggles of youth. Never a dull moment, Bat Out of Hell will definitely rock your socks off, although some choice language and suggestive choreography clearly put it in the 13-plus age bracket.

And let’s not forget those songs! Seventeen in all, which include hits such as ‘Dead Ringer for Love’ and ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’, tightly packed into the drama.

Don’t expect any Meat Loaf parodies though; star Glenn Adamson, reprising the role of Strat (the sought-after leader of the Lost) for a second time, is a lean and leggy chanteur who leaps around the stage like the proverbial bat. His delivery gives all the thrust and power of the original, with a new glamour all his own.

The charisma of the leads is evident across the piece. Adamson and his young love interest, the superb Katie Tonkinson as the beautiful Raven, are a joy to watch, as indeed are the fantastic Georgia Iudica-Davies and Ethan Tanner, understudies on the night playing Zahara and Jagwire respectively. The onstage chemistry is never more evident than with the return of Sharon Sexton and Rob Fowler, two mesmerising performers at the top of their game.

This revival, complete with a live band and the obligatory pyrotechnics, also uses an unusual combination of handheld microphones and over the shoulder filming. A little disconcerting at first, this is soon forgotten as the action gets under way, especially when the value of the fly on the wall filming becomes apparent. Close-up images of the key moments and live action are projected onto two massive screens above the stage in a manner reminiscent of those watchable Meat Loaf 1980s videos that accompanied Steinman’s hits.

Talking of hits, it is worth mentioning the beautifully sad rendition of ‘Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are’, given new poignancy when achingly performed by the young Lost trio, especially with the stunning singing vocals of Sophie-Rose Emery, understudy for Valkyrie on this occasion.

Sometimes it can feel like the Meat Loaf era fluttered in and out of the charts all too soon; this vibrant interpretation of the material (directed by Jay Scheib) has lit the fuse once more for a welcome blast of Steinman’s back catalogue.

Christine Drabwell