Tag Archives: Gareth Owen

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL

★★★★

UK Tour

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL

Peacock Theatre

★★★★

“a non-stop blockbuster of a musical”

Jim Steinman’s epic rock and roll masterpiece returns to London as part of its UK tour.

Whispers of Meat Loaf’s original song greet the incoming audience, like hearing a ghost from the past. There are no doubts when the band starts to play in earnest, the bass vibrating through one’s very soul and the audience – many dressed in tour T-shirts – whoops in expectation.

The unassuming but excellent eight-piece band (MD Iestyn Griffiths) are rescued from the invisibility of a pit and displayed high above the stage action. The black stage (set and costume design Jon Bausor) is dominated by a large central sewer pipe leading into who-knows-where and opening out onto the relatively small playing space. A small back room serves as Raven’s bedroom, her bed curiously made from flight cases; a nod to the rock and roll origin of the production, perhaps. Scenes from this room are screened above the stage filmed live by an on-stage video cam-operator (video design Finn Ross).

Strands of Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, even West Side Story abound in the wafer-thin plot, though Jay Scheib’s direction shines. A rag-taggle group of boys and girls (The Lost) live in the sewer tunnels below a dystopian, post-apocalyptic Gotham-esque city controlled by a despot ruler who sends in his riot squad for summary beatings of the youth. He fears for the safety of his daughter Raven (Kate Tonkinson), who on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, declares her love for Strat (Glenn Adamson), the unofficial leader of the pack. Falco declares she shall never have him and so the scene of rebellious teenager versus parent who doesn’t understand is set.

Steinman’s songs are, of course, legendary and their narrative content ripe for stage performance and all our favourites are here. Paradise by the Dashboard Light – an anthem for failed marriage – is performed almost straight as from the LP. Falco (Rob Fowler) and Sloane (Sharon Sexton) make out in an open top Chevy (in flashback), awkwardly fumbling their clothing until Sloane commands Falco to ‘stop right there’. Including a girl in referee’s uniform going through the baseball commentary as Falco thinks he’s going to make it to last base, black and white baseball footage is screened above the action to reinforce the imagery. Including too a line-up of twitchy and giggling dancers, there’s so much going on in this scene that it’s hard to know where to focus. But Fowler and Sexton’s voices win-out; together the couple are superb.

The full youth ensemble in their grungy hip-hop attire (shades of Mad Max) give their all and their energy levels are phenomenal. But the choreography (Xena Gusthart) verges on the twee. There is little sense of rock and roll danger and hip thrusts are comedic rather than sexually threatening. For Crying Out Loud is the standout song as the ensemble share the solo lines, and pairings are made amongst the gang, some individual characterisation becoming evident. Bat Out of Hell closes the first act and as Strat’s ‘silver black phantom bike’ breaks up, confetti cannons fire pieces of the broken metal into the air and pyros shoot out tongues of flame. It’s wild, dramatic, over the top, and totally thrilling.

In the second act there’s time for some deceit and treachery, instigated for the best possible reasons, by Tink (the excellent Carla Bertran) but it’s a foregone conclusion that young love will out. I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) is inexplicably the show’s closing number, and the only ensemble piece that feels to go on too long.

Of course, the strength of the singers is the be all for a production of this type and Glenn Adamson and especially Katie Tonkinson do not disappoint. They are both excellent throughout and well supported by the full ensemble. This is a non-stop blockbuster of a musical, sung powerfully and tunefully throughout, and danced with total commitment. An absolute blast.



BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL

Peacock Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 22nd May 2025

by Phillip Money

Photography by Chris Davis Studio

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

Last ten shows reviewed at Sadler’s Wells venues:

SPECKY CLARK | ★★★ | May 2025
SNOW WHITE: THE SACRIFICE | ★★★★★ | April 2025
SKATEPARK | ★★★★ | April 2025
MIDNIGHT DANCER | ★★★★ | March 2025
THE DREAM | ★★★★★ | March 2025
DEEPSTARIA | ★★★★ | February 2025
VOLLMOND | ★★★★★ | February 2025
DIMANCHE | ★★★★ | January 2025
SONGS OF THE WAYFARER | ★★★★ | December 2024
NOBODADDY (TRÍD AN BPOLL GAN BUN) | ★★★★ | November 2024

 

BAT OUT OF HELL

BAT OUT OF HELL

BAT OUT OF HELL

🎭 A TOP SHOW IN NOVEMBER 2024 🎭

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

★★★★★

Dominion Theatre

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at the Dominion Theatre

★★★★★

“Crisp, dazzling, bold and brash”

Back in 2003 a young woman was hired as a personal assistant to a very well-known editor-in-chief for ‘Vogue’ magazine. When Dame Anna Wintour (for it was she) learned that a novel (reportedly earning its author a $250,000 advance) was being published, she said “I cannot remember who that girl is”. Within months, though, the rest of the world knew very well who Lauren Weisberger was. When news reached Hollywood, the rights were snapped up and Meryl Streep stepped into Wintour’s high heeled shoes, playing the thinly disguised character of Miranda Priestly – the high-flying, ruthless head of ‘Runway’ magazine.

Fast forward a decade or two. Elton John is drafted into the empire, along with American singer, actress, model, producer, dancer, designer and overall icon Vanessa Williams. Elton’s job is to knock out a memorable and instantly recognisable score, while Vanessa has some pretty lofty stilettos to fill. It has been a long catwalk, that eventually led – via a preview summer season in Plymouth – to London’s grand Dominion Theatre. With the sheer abundance of new musicals currently opening in the West End at the moment, it needs to make a splash to stand out. But as Anna Wintour herself has famously said; “If you can’t be better than your competition, just dress better.” This musical has taken her words to heart.

“The Devil Wears Prada” is, simply put, a stunning production in every way. Crisp, dazzling, bold and brash; it invites you to wallow in the feel-good spectacle without straining to look closely for the hidden safety pins that hold it all together. For that is not the point. This is pure escapism and, as such, arrives at just the right time of the year. Let’s get the anticipated, predominant quibble out of the way first. Why a musical? It was certainly one of my questions. But the answer came quickly. Most of the dialogue is lifted from the film, and what the team have done (Kate Wetherhead’s book, Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick’s lyrics and Elton John’s music) is to let the spoken word bleed seamlessly into song. There is a natural rhythm to the text, that is full of cracking soundbites, that cries out for a melody. Melodies that unmistakably come from Elton’s ivory-tickling fingers. Motifs lifted from his back catalogue ring out loud above the musical theatre bias but, hey, it is uplifting and sounds superb. The voices catapult to the rafters, even if – or perhaps due to – some of the emotion being too impassioned for its subject matter.

Despite a huge ensemble, the story revolves around a small bunch of characters. Wannabee journalist Andrea ‘Andy’ Sachs (Georgie Buckland) lands herself the job as junior PA to the savage chief of the magazine; Miranda Priestly (Vanessa Williams). Initially a square peg in a round whole, Andy undergoes a transformation that puts Olivia Newton John’s leather-clad make-over in ‘Grease’ to shame. The new look comes with greater responsibilities, extra glamour, but also a split form boyfriend Nate (Rhys Whitfield) and a realisation that she has strayed from her true path. She usurps Emily’s (Amy Di Bartolomeo) place in Miranda’s favour, gets off with writer Christian (James Darch) in Paris and unwittingly gets drawn into a back-stabbing subplot that leads the company’s art director Nigel (Matt Henry) to the sacrificial altar. It is no doubt common knowledge, and therefore no spoiler, that Andy ultimately sees the error of her ways. Buckland’s anthemic closing number, ‘What’s Right for Me’, is a pure, belting, sparkling highlight of the show.

Vanessa Williams is made for the role of Miranda. Like the show itself she refuses to take herself seriously. It’s a devil of a role but Williams captures the joy that follows in the wake of the abuse she fires at her victims. A perverse concept, but she gets it right. Her entourage are all triple threats, adept at comic timing, precision dancing and gorgeous singing. The star of the show, though, is Buckland whose Andy is both impressionable and strong. For a West End debut, she astonishingly commands the stage with ease.

It is a large stage to fill. Tim Hatley’s scenic design is a filmic masterstroke that leads us from New York to Paris and back again; weaving through dressing rooms, offices, apartments and boulevards; swooping beneath an illuminated Eifel Tower with a perspective that throws the cityscapes way beyond the back wall. And, of course, this show would never get away with skimping on the costume budget. Gregg Barnes has pulled out all the stops (aided probably by a blank cheque). Our chins are left almost scraping the floor when the jaw-dropping spectacle of the Paris Fashion Week scene closes Act One.

“The Devil Wears Prada” is sumptuously staged under Jerry Mitchell’s slick direction and choreography. Style certainly wins over content – and it is deliciously cheesy. But taken with a pinch of salt the effect is elevating, intoxicating and warming. It does exactly what it is supposed to do. Within seconds of the opening number, we cease to question or care about the artistic choices. Who cares if it comes across slightly dated at times? Or that the characters are skin deep beneath their designer outfits. The show is a glorious triumph. A devilishly good night out. Go and see it.

“Why are you still here? Go! That’s all!”


THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at the Dominion Theatre

Reviewed on 28th November 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Matt Crockett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW | ★★★★ | September 2024
GREASE | ★★★★ | May 2022

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

 

 

We’re now on BLUESKY – click to visit and follow