Cast interview – Bat Out of Hell

As the reimagined production of Bat Out of Hell – The Musical spreads its wings for a UK tour, leading man Glenn Adamson promises: “Audiences are in for an absolute rock and roll party. It’s larger than life and an absolute riot.”

The show features the music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. “And it’s everything you’d expect from their fantastic songs,” Glenn adds, “but in a story that’s set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world. It’s a fantastic night out.”

With a book by legendary songwriter and producer Steinman himself, the musical is set in the dystopian city of Obsidian, which is ruled over by tyrannical leader Falco. Their DNA frozen so that they are destined to remain 18 forever, the Lost boys and girls are living in the tunnels beneath the city. Then the fearless leader of the Lost, the immortal Strat, locks eyes with Falco’s daughter Raven and the immensity of their love-at-first-sight obsessions threatens to destroy both of their worlds.

Strat is played by Adamson, who says: “He is sort of like Iggy Pop meets Peter Pan, stuck at age 18 for eternity. He falls in love with Raven, but she’ll continue to age while he can never grown older. It’s a dilemma, to say the least.”

The actor is reprising a role he previously played in the West End and on tour in Australia and New Zealand. Excited about returning to the show, he beams: “It has the most incredible music and it’s a really joyous team to work with. We have such good fun and it’s just an incredible show. It has a great fan base and there’s no feeling quite like being in it. The buzz being out there each night is amazing.”

Originally released in 1977, the Bat Out of Hell album – for which Steinman penned all the songs – launched Meat Loaf to rock superstardom and is one of the best-selling in history, having sold nearly 70 million copies worldwide. The sequel, which came out 16 years later in 1993, was another huge success for the duo.

For the stage musical, which premiered in 2017, Steinman has incorporated iconic songs from the Bat Out of Hell albums, including the title track, You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) and Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as the previously unreleased song What Part of My Body Hurts the Most.

“The songs are perfect for a musical because they are so theatrical and poetic,” Adamson points out. “He writes these banging tunes that lend so well to the format. Sometimes in a musical it feels like the songs are shoehorned in, but here they feel they were always supposed to be in a show.”

Glenn knows the musical theatre genre well. He’s been in We Will Rock You, American Idiot, Bat Boy and Magic at the Musicals. And he’s thrilled to be in this new version of Bat Out of Hell, which is inspired by the spectacular arena tour of Australia and New Zealand that he also starred in in 2023.

“It’s a bit like going to a gig but with a great story that’s being told,” Glenn says of a production that features a dynamic eight-piece rock band on stage and multi-level platforms to bring the story to life. “Having the band right there on stage makes it even more exciting.”

Strat’s love interest Raven is played by Katie Tonkinson, who says of the character: “She’s been kept locked up for her whole life and she’s looking for freedom and exploration and love. She’s still quite innocent, she doesn’t have a lot of knowledge of the world and because she’s so excitable she is quite emotionally reactive to things. That’s a lot of fun to play.”

Katie’s credits include Tarantino Live and she was recently seen as Snow White in Greenwich Theatre’s annual pantomime. She toured in Bat Out of Hell previously, where she covered for the actress playing Raven and got to play the role herself a few times. 

Of being cast as Raven in the new tour, she smiles: “I’m so excited about it. As a cover, you don’t necessarily get to delve into the details, whereas actually doing it properly you get to make choices and really explore the character.”

Like Glenn, she’s a big fan of Steinman’s songwriting. “Everything in it matters. The way the songs are written, they all tell a story and they’re full of drama. That’s why they work so well in a musical.” 

Also like her co-star, she promises that the combination of the music and the story will make for a great night out. “It’s a night of fantastic songs, with the chance to relive your youth if you’re of a certain age and to discover these incredible songs if you’re younger, plus it’s a love story and an adventure. It’s a rock and roll rollercoaster.”

As for the story in the show, Tonkinson feels there are serious themes amidst all that classic music. “With the Lost, for example, they’re fighting back against the system and questioning things, and I’m a big fan of people speaking their minds. They also have a brilliant sense of community, which Raven wants to be a part of because it’s more colourful, vibrant and interesting than what she’s used to.”

After opening at Manchester Opera House in March 2017, Bat Out of Hell – The Musical was hailed by the Manchester Evening News as “a truly staggering piece of musical theatre”. Other critics agreed when it transferred to the London Coliseum that summer, and it made a return to the capital with a run at the Dominion Theatre the following year.

It has also had successful runs in Canada, Germany and New York, a residency in Las Vegas, and has toured the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Nominated for numerous awards, it won the Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards and was nominated for eight WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical.

Husband and wife Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton have been there from the start. They originated the roles of Falco and Sloane and have returned to the show many times over the years. Rob is especially impressed with the new production, which has been tailored for theatres around the country.

“It has kept all of Jim’s authenticity and music alive,” he says, “but it is more accessible to every theatre in the UK. Not everybody has the possibility to travel to us, so we’re travelling to them. And from a performer’s point of view, it’s definitely going to be more in-your-face rock and roll. It’s like everybody in this piece is now a rock star.” 

Sharon nods her head, adding: “The great thing with Bat Out of Hell is that it constantly evolves, but Jim’s story, music and lyrics remain the heart of the piece.”

That music, Fowler feels, is timeless. “Jim’s songs are like a two-act play. Every song has its own story and journey, and that keeps the piece moving. It’s like going to your favourite theme park. Every ride is exhilarating, every ride is an adrenaline rush and every ride makes you want to get on it again.”

Rob has a vast CV that includes Mamma Mia!, Next to Normal, Jesus Christ Superstar and We Will Rock You, to name just a few. Sharon’s CV is equally impressive, featuring Mamma Mia!, Oliver!, The Commitments and Billy Elliot among many other shows.

The couple have performed together and apart, and they’re never happier than when it’s the former. Rob gushes: “She makes me raise the bar and she makes me feel safe. When she’s opposite me it’s like she’s saying, ‘You’ve got this’.” 

Sharon gushes back: “For me it’s that thing of having an extra layer of communication, where you don’t realise how special it is until it’s missing. When things happen in the moment you know you’ve got your best friend there. You’ve got each other’s back.”

Sexton loves how the show speaks to so many different generations. “What is lovely is that the music is being discovered by a whole younger generation who wouldn’t have grown up with it. Then with the parents who bring them along and introduce them to it, it’s like they’re finding themselves again. We all grow old in our bodies but we don’t always grow old in our minds and in our hearts. So many people come up to us at the stage door after the show and go ‘You reignited something in my soul that I forgot’.”

Rob agrees. “I’ve seen grandparents come along with their grandchildren and they tell us ‘Seeing the show, it made me go home and share my record collection with my grandkids’. That’s the power of Bat Out of Hell, both with the music and the story. It brings together all the misfits of the world, all the outsiders, who come and see this show that’s also full of misfits and they all kind of find each other. It’s so lovely to see people find new friendships via a show that we’re so proud to be part of.”