Tag Archives: Peacock Theatre

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

THE DREAM

★★★★★

Peacock Theatre

THE DREAM

Peacock Theatre

★★★★★

“when they play, dance, and show their extraordinary physicality, they are as one”

Drum TAO’s much-anticipated London debut and the UK premiere of their new show The Dream at the Peacock Theatre must be seen to be believed – on only till Saturday 15th March. Do not miss it!

The Dream is a cultural revelation, and the audience were in thrall from the second this hugely talented Japanese drumming ensemble of eleven supreme performers burst onto the stage.

This is musicality like never before.

As soon as one set of rhythms is played with the performers moving all the while to hugely difficult choreographed moves of athleticism, it changes up to yet even more extraordinary feats of precise and intense physicality and playing another unbelievable beat of beauteous drumming.

Taro Harasaki, Junnosuke Kodani, Haruki Kawazu, Kyota Sonoda, Koki Sato, Haruto Mizuno, Takumi Azami, Ryusei Ishida, Daiki Sakai, Shima Sasaki and Ai Anekawa are all titans of their art forms and performance. Their control and energy never let up for a second.

From small to huge Wadaiko drums, some even played whilst the player was literally sitting astride as if riding a stallion. There is every taiko-drum size in between, plus tiny lovely high noted symbols and the traditional Syamisen guitars being played as if they were at a rock’n’roll gig! Every performer could play every instrument. The connection between each performer and instrument, could be seen through their pure joy and abandonment to the sounds and rhythms they were flawlessly playing, drumming at speeds so fast that it was difficult to even see.

At one point two groups of four were drumming, dancing and circling round humungous taiko-drums keeping the complicated rhythms completely in sync with not a stick or arm movement out of place. And just when you thought you’d seen it all, fans, parasols, weapons or even the drum sticks themselves were used to dance in precise traditional Japanese style, yet always with a modern twist to their extraordinary technique and core strength.

There was also supreme poetry in sections of beautiful filmic melodies on the wooden Shinobue flutes and Koto harps; and the respect that the two females showed to each of their wooden flutes, literally cherishing it in their hands every time they finished playing was sublime.

This is contemporary Japanese performance, intertwined with traditional Japanese elements.

Each performer has their own hugely individual personality and boyband hair style and look, from bleached blonde and dark roots to ponytail and afro, to amazing front flick floppy fringe; and the two girls in the team with their long loose hair, could hair flip as confidently as the guys – every audience member had their individual favourite! But when they play, dance, and show their extraordinary physicality, they are as one.

The traditional Japanese comedy was true showmanship, with each performer knowing exactly just how far to push the audience as drummers went head-to-head in mock drumming one upmanship – and they got away with it because they were such brilliant percussionists playing such remarkable rhythms.

The male performers wore traditional Japanese shaped costumes which were covered in sequins, which was a bit garish – but hey they wear it well! The Dream is directed seamlessly by Ikuo Fujitaka, with perfectly matched lighting by Ryo Harada and sound by Kenichi Horiuchi.

A smile of wonder never left my face throughout this stunningly slick theatrical experience.



THE DREAM

Peacock Theatre

Reviewed on 11th March 2025

by Debbie Rich

Photography courtesy Drum Tao

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at Sadler’s Wells venues:

DEEPSTARIA | ★★★★ | February 2025
VOLLMOND | ★★★★★ | February 2025
DIMANCHE | ★★★★ | January 2025
SONGS OF THE WAYFARER | ★★★★ | December 2024
NOBODADDY (TRÍD AN BPOLL GAN BUN) | ★★★★ | November 2024
THE SNOWMAN | ★★★★ | November 2024
EXIT ABOVE | ★★★★ | November 2024
ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE) | ★★★ | October 2024
STORIES – THE TAP DANCE SENSATION | ★★★★★ | October 2024
FRONTIERS: CHOREOGRAPHERS OF CANADA | ★★★★ | October 2024

THE DREAM

THE DREAM

THE DREAM