New Bat Out Of Hell UK Tour: Amazing or Confusing?
One of my first blog posts was about Bat Out Of Hell The Musical. The show means a lot to me, and still does. When I last saw it on the West End, it left me wanting more.
Now it has reopened on a new tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse, and I have some very mixed thoughts. He’s a few of the worries and problems I have with the newest iteration of this musical, as well as some things I loved. This will contain some spoilers, but is mostly talking about things that have been cut or are different.
As always, I am not associated with Bat Out Of Hell or Edinburgh Playhouse, where I saw this show. I paid for the tickets both nights I saw this, and I was not invited as part of press night or as a PR invite.
The Casting of Tink
While I was hesitant about Tink’s casting, the consequence is that they look younger than the rest of The . I can believe that Tink is younger than the rest of The Lost, and the performance was great. I’m still sad that they cut Tink’s song since I thought it conveyed the emotions Tink felt in that moment far better than the two lines that replaced it. I only noticed one line change in regards to Tink’s gender. However, I’m not sure if this was a line change or a mic problem. Which brings me to the biggest problem with the performance I saw.
Handheld Mics for the New Bat Out Of Hell UK Tour
Part of the choices for this new production is the ‘arena style’ staging. This includes the handheld mics that were used during the last international tour. I think it makes the acting look very awkward. The actors can’t move naturally because they have to hold onto a mic to talk and sing. Some members of ensemble only say a few lines in a scene, but they now have to hold a mic, or talk one someone else is holding.
A problem I’ve noticed in the two times I’ve seen the show this week, is that at least once, someone’s mic has not been turned on in time. This means that we didn’t hear the lines (or singing, in one case) at all, or were very quiet. Also, you sometimes hear heavy breathing between lines that you don’t usually hear, or can hear rustling, people putting down the mics, or the mics hitting into things when they’re moving around. Instead of an interesting production choice, it just seems like the normal mics aren’t working (which the actors still have). It also adds nothing to it other than issues and awkwardness.
Set Changing
The set has gone from a vibrant depiction of Raven’s Bedroom and The Deep End to a dark and soulless set. Having the band on stage ‘area style’ is fun, but we are left will a set that blurs together. It’s awkward when Raven goes to follow Strat from her room, only to be stopped by the fact that he’s climbed through her balcony/window by the height and walls, except they have nothing between them to actually stop Raven from following him. The stage is also far smaller and leaves less room for The Lost to dance, which means some of them can’t be on stage as often, or some are just standing at the sides while others dance.
Cut Material/Changes in the New Tour
Around 20 minutes are still cut from this show. Who Needs The Young and Not Allowed To Love. Lots of dialogue is still cut, like the Nocturnal Pleasures/Teenagers In Love dialogue and the Freezers conversation. Sloane and Falco also no longer apologise to Raven and Zahara doesn’t appear there anymore. The lack of dialogue and exposition makes the plot very hard to follow, which was always a very common complaint for this show so it’s very confusing that they’ve let out anything referencing the world, any explanation of The Lost, or anything about why Sloane and Falco are in such a dysfunctional relationship.
Another change is the technical side. There is only one motorbike, it appears once and has to be pushed on stage. It doesn’t come out by itself, nor does it break apart. For me, the spectacle that is these technical parts of the show is what convinced me to see it in the first place. It is a huge part of it. From the walls of Raven’s bedroom being solid or translucent depending on the lights, to the motorbikes on stage. Specifically, hearing that the motorbike breaking apart in the song Bat Out Of Hell was so memorable that I booked to see the show without knowing anything else about it, all those years ago.
Things I Liked
Things I did like. Glenn Adamson as Strat is still phenomenal. Katie Tonkinson is amazing as Raven. Of course, Sharon Sexton and Rob Fowler as Sloane and Falco are perfection. If there are better people to play those characters, I haven’t seen them yet. They have great chemistry (for obvious reasons as they are a real-life couple) and have beautiful singing. The other members of The Lost also have fantastic voices and they’re giving their all in this show.
The band are fantastic, and sometimes it’s hard not to watch them playing instead of the performers at times. They are so talented and amazing for playing this show even day, sometimes twice a day, as I imagine it’s not easy to play songs like Bat Out Of Hell.
I’m also happy I can finally get a new hoodie in my size, and there’s amazing new merch designs, though my t-shirt is a little small.
Overall Thoughts on the New Bat Out Of Hell UK Tour
Overall, I still think this is a fun show. The choices made do seem very confusing and, at times, distracting when there are amazing performers. While the New Bat Out Of Hell UK Tour isn’t the spectacle it was previously, it’s still fun with great music, performances, and costumes. If you have seen this show before on its previous UK Tour or during its original West End run, you will probably find the production changes disappointing. If you haven’t, you might be confused on what the plot is, but will probably still enjoy the show.
Want to see my last review of a musical? Click here. Want to read about why I love this show so much, check out my post on it here. To book tickets for the new Bat Out Of Hell UK Tour, check out their website here.