★★★★★

“this is how art can uplift and bring hope in trying times.”

Sheep Soup’s Gospel Church inspired Rave brings joy to the heart of London with this wonderful hour’s worth of music, glitter and audience interaction. An experience that not only aims to bring the audience happiness but succeeds in doing so, in a way that managed to bring a tear to my eye.

The show begins with a fantastic musical number, welcoming the audience to the House of Life. The RaveRend (Ben Welch) guides the audience through the 6 stages of life alongside musical and loop machine genius Trev (Lawrence Cole). He is a powerhouse at singing throughout the musical numbers and incorporated the audience in every step. The most touching moment for me was during the Self-Esteem stage of the show. The RaveRend approaches several audience members asking them if they are attending with a loved one. He then approaches them asking them to say to the audience what they love about them. I was lucky enough to attend this show with my partner, and told the audience how he is the kindest person know. Both he and I teared up and it was an incredibly moving moment for us both. The RaveRend also asked who was there on their own and the chosen individual was invited on stage to sing a song of affirmation. The whole sequence was wildly motivating and it really drove a beautiful sense of community throughout the room.

Self esteem and affirmations was followed by a visualisation section, where the audience are asked about their dream life. It felt like at this point any cynics could be turned into a believer of manifestation and the power of a growth mindset. With the RaveRend’s glitter fuelled optimism and incredible ability to improvise lyrics about your hopes and dreams on the spot, how could you not? The journey is not one note, however. The emotional journey still has its darker parts as the audience recalls the things that annoy them and makes them sad. But we’re invited to let them, because without the lows one can never enjoy the highs.

There’s no doubt that no two performances of this show will ever be the same. You could feel the connection and spark in the room during this show; strangers becoming friends as we were invited to put our hands up and sing together. We were even asked if we wanted glitter to be painted on our face upon arrival. This is how art fosters community, and this is how art can uplift and bring hope in trying times. A must see for all of those who need a little love right now, and those with plenty to share.

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.

HOUSE OF LIFE

Soho Theatre

★★★★★

“this is how art can uplift and bring hope in trying times.”

HOUSE OF LIFE

Soho Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 28th May 2025

by David Robinson

Photography by Mark Senior

For further tour dates and venues click the image below

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

HOUSE OF LIFE

HOUSE OF LIFE

HOUSE OF LIFE

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL

Peacock Theatre

★★★★

“a non-stop blockbuster of a musical”

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:

BAT OUT OF HELL

BAT OUT OF HELL

BAT OUT OF HELL

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