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With over 43 million copies sold worldwide, Bat Out of Hell remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, making it a bonafide rock masterpiece. Since Meat Loaf’s sad passing in 2022, there’s been an added poignancy in hearing these anthems roar to life on stage, and the 2025 UK tour is a fitting, turbo-charged tribute to the man and the music that defined a generation.
I initially saw this rock opera in 2022, and it’s undergone some interesting updates since. The new production takes things up a notch visually, transforming the stage into a multi-level playground, with the live eight-piece band now visible on stage above a subway tunnel set. As such, it’s an absolute feast for the eyes, with enough going on that you could watch it three or four times and still catch new details.
Two giant video screens capture live camera shots in a style straight out of an 80s movie, heightening that gritty, dystopian and darkly romantic atmosphere that feels somewhere between The Lost Boys and Peter Pan, the latter being what the show is loosely based on.
Returning to the stage, Glenn Adamson as Strat, Rob Fowler as Falco, and Sharon Sexton as Sloane, once again deliver knockout performances, and it was great to be reacquainted with such a standout cast. They’re joined by newcomer Katie Tonkinson as Raven, whose rebellious attitude is refreshing, with her soaring vocals on All Coming Back to Me Now being nothing short of stunning.
The choreography is tight, the vocals faultless, and the energy unstoppable. Glenn Adamson’s Strat is absolutely electric, driving the show with enough energy to power a stadium. His vocals are insanely powerful and while Meat Loaf is entirely inimitable, Glenn doesn’t shy away from the task at hand and delivers a breathtaking rendition of Bat Out Of Hell at the end of the second half.
Naturally, the score is a real celebration of the iconic music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. Some of my personal favourites included You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth and an emotional take on What Part Of MyBody Hurts The Most. But of course it was I Would Do Anything for Love that brought the house down in classic Meat Loaf style.
If you’re a fan of We Will Rock You or Rock of Ages, you’ll feel instantly at home here, but Bat Out of Hell still manages to carve its own niche, delivering a rock musical that really is full throttle. Catch it at The Regent Theatre this week until Saturday, July 5.
