Bat out of Hell is returning to London and they are not doing it quietly! I was invited along to a special launch event hosted by Planet Rock Radio and the team behind the musical.
The event was taking place in a church – yes we were going to a church to celebrate all things Bat Out of Hell and Rock and Roll – oh how times have changed.
I was a little early so I sat in a coffee shop next door – and then I heard the loud unmistakable sound of the revving motor bikes! Yes this launch was not going to be a quiet affair! The “Bat Bikes” were loud and proud and announcing to the whole of London Bat Out of Hell was on its way – I took this as my cue to go over to the church. The bikes were parked outside the church and became quite the attraction to passers by who were stopping and having their photos taken with them and the big banners hanging outside which were advertising Bat out of Hell – nice marketing there guys.
At a little after 4.30pm we were invited in, given a lovely lanyard, a branded Bat Out of Hell notebook and pen- which came very useful right away for me to jot down some notes – so thanks for that.
The launch performance was to “go live” at 5 on Facebook and the church quickly filled up with lucky fans who had won an entry prize together with special guests and press. I have to say the set up was very slick I felt like I was at a tv recording not an online streaming. There was a countdown then at 5pm the band started to play and Paul Anthony a presenter of Planet Rock Radio came out to welcome us and introduce the cast.
This event was not only a launch of Bat Out of Hell opening at the Dominion Theatre next month but also a chance for everyone to welcome and see all the new cast strut their stuff alongside some of the cast who had been part of the show from day one.
The cast performed 5 tracks from the show showcasing all the leads and ensembles voices, and even though the church was not even half the size of the Dominion Theatre stage they made it feel like a full on rock show with loads of dry ice, brilliant lighting and the band on stage with the MD. The cast opened with Bat out of Hell then also performed Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, What Part of My Body Hurts The Most, Dead Ringer for Love and ending with I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).
Bat Out of Hell Launch – Photo by Bonnie BritainYou can still catch the live performance over on the social media pages for @batthemusical
New and old cast have already blended with each other and seem to be loving their job – quite a few of them said they just can’t wait to get on that stage in the Dominion now. For some of the cast it will be a return to the Dominion, I noticed that a couple of the new cast have actually been in a very successful rock show at the Dominion before. Wayne Robinson- who is now playing Jag played Brit in We Will Rock You, Julie Stark started her career in WWRY in the role of ‘Madonna’ in the ensemble and covering leads Meatloaf and Killer Queen, and Craig Ryder who was in the original cast at the Dominion too. There may be others but these are the ones that stood out at the launch.
The Cast for Bat out of Hell is now the biggest it has been as 34 people and every ensemble member has to cover one of the lead roles too so they will all be very busy right now learning not only their part but cover parts too. Bat Out of Hell is hoping that they too can have the success of the long run of We Will Rock you at the Dominion Theatre. Bat Out of Hell are at the “get in” stage currently hard at work building the set. The production team told us they don’t plan on taking it out any time soon. Julian Stoneman (company manager) also commented that he hopes the paying audience can see from the set and theatre where their ticket money is going as they are putting everything in to the production and want their audience to have value for the cost of their tickets.
London you are getting a rock show back, so get your rock horns ready and be prepared to be wowed! The Dominion will be rocking from April 2nd.
Bat Out of Hell The Musical
Dominion Theatre, London
Booking From: 2nd Apr 2018
Booking Until: 28th Jul 2018
Additional Information
Age Restrictions: Suitable for age 12+ due to mild swearing and scenes of partial nudity. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted.
Important Info: The show contains strobe lighting, haze and flame effects. The sound levels are very high throughout the show and there are scenes that include gunshots sound effects.