Bat Out Of Hell, The Musical & Meat Loaf.

In the 1970’s Jim Steinman wrote a musical that was presented in workshop in Washington D.C.  Jim had always intended these songs to be theatrical and a larger than life opus. When he met Meat Loaf the opportunity to realise the “rock and roll dream”.. came true.

Many of the songs written by Steinman at this time went on to appear on the album by Meat Loaf entitled Bat Out Of Hell which became one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 50 million copies worldwide. 16 years later, Steinman scored again with Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which contained the massive hit I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).

Meat Loaf told me that “the album was always going to be a slow burner” it took years from its release to get to the number one spot and then there it stayed for over 500 weeks (in the charts). “When it was released everything was word of mouth and the album was passed from hand to hand.”

Andrew Polec who plays Strat explained that the musical is “not particularly a rock opera or even musical theatre but an emotion.”

If the three song burst that we heard being performed on a truck outside the London Coliseum, supported by a cavalcade of Harley Davidson’s (and one Triumph), is anything to go by, we are in for a treat. Andrew also explained that “Jim held the auditions for the main parts himself and he is meticulous in the detail.”

For the stage musical, the legendary and award-winning Jim Steinman has incorporated iconic songs from the Bat Out Of Hell albums, including You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Bat Out Of Hell, I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) and Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as two previously unreleased songs, What Part of My Body Hurts The Most and Not Allowed to Love.

Meat Loaf added ” When I sang those songs, I was always a different character, I never felt the same way twice. I always taped my shows and before the next concert I would arrive at a venue about 5pm and listen back to the night before’s recordings. Just to see how I sounded.”

The world premiere of the long-awaited Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical will take place in London’s West End at the London Coliseum, opening on Tuesday 20 June 2017, following previews from 5 June, for a limited season until 22 July 2017. This follows previews at Manchester Opera House from 17 February to 8 April 2017.

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is a romantic adventure about rebellious youth and passionate love, set against the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city adrift from the mainland. Strat, the forever young leader of The Lost, has fallen for Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical, ruler of Obsidian.

The cast of Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical will be led by newcomer Andrew Polec as Strat and Christina Bennington as Raven, with Rob Fowler as Falco and Sharon Sexton as Sloane.  Also starring will be Aran MacRae as Tink, Danielle Steers as Zahara, Dom Hartley-Harris as Jagwire, Giovanni Spano as Ledoux and Patrick Sullivan as Blake.  Also in the cast will be Jemma Alexander, Emily Benjamin, Stuart Boother, Georgia Carling, Natalie Chua, Jonathan Cordin, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Jordan Lee Davies, Olly Dobson, Hannah Ducharme, Phoebe Hart, Rosalind James, Michael Naylor, Eve Norris, Tim Oxbrow, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Benjamin Purkiss, Anthony Selwyn, Courtney Stapleton and Ruben Van Keer.

Website: www.BatOutOfHellMusical.com
Twitter & Facebook: @BatTheMusical

5 June – 22 July 2017

London Coliseum
St Martin’s Lane
London
WC2N 4ES

Performances: Mon-Sat at 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat at 2.30pm (7pm on Tue 20 June; no matinee on Thurs 8 June; extra 2.30pm matinee on Tue 22 August)

Tickets: from £15.00

Box Office: 020 7845 9300