Meat Loaf musical Bat Out of Hell staged its world premiere run here in Manchester back in 2017 and immediately blasted away audiences with its inventive take on rock opera. Manchester took it to its heart then, and welcomed it back with open arms this week, here on a two-week return run at the Palace Theatre.
The musical has accrued its own dedicated army of fans across the world over the past eight years, and you can see and hear that warm support for this show with huge cheers at all of the show's biggest numbers from the stalls' fan faithful.
For those who did see that premiere run, you can expect a slightly different production here at The Palace in 2025 to that at the Opera House in 2017 though.
I'd have to say it's not got quite the same level of bells and whistles of the original.
But what remains true to the beating, bleeding heart of this musical is the raucous rock vocals which are faultless across the full ensemble cast. And you can't go too far wrong with a soundtrack of veritable rock anthems courtesy of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman.
The plot is a sort of Peter Pan mixed with Romeo and Juliet tale, pitting the older and younger generations in a bleak dystopian future world.
We are introduced to Strat, the leader of The Lost sub-culture where wild teen rebels stay 18 forever in the post-apocalyptic landscape of Obsidian.
He is brought to life with raw and rasping energy by Glenn Adamson who leads his rebel army with a raucous opening of Wasted Youth.
Their is fizzing chemistry as soon as he meets Raven, the daughter of baddie overlord Falco, and Katie Tonkinson in this role delivers seriously spine-tingling vocals on the big meaty rock classics. Together with Adamson they perform some sizzling duets that ooze with their youthful lust.
Naturally, given the title, the show is shaped around Meat's most iconic album, Bat out of Hell, which as rock fans well know was originally written as a musical by king of the power ballad Steinman.
But there are also welcome additions of some of Meat and Jim's biggest rock 'n' roll hits too - used to notable effect in the finale with the smasher I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) and It's All Coming Back to Me Now (made famous by Celine Dion amid a tug of war for the song between Meat and Steinman over the years).
The, admittedly, paper thin plot line is given intensity on stage with huge video screens and an on-stage camera man to make you feel like you're watching a series of 1980s MTV videos in action.
New to this production of the show, the cast all carry hand-held microphones, which at first takes a bit of getting used to. By the end I could see that it perhaps continued that storytelling arc of the show being like one large rock concert.
And I tell you what, the hand held mics really do add something to the sound quality here which is all the better given the superior vocals on display.
The sub-plot following Falco's fractious relationship with wife Sloane which brings the laughs as well as some of the biggest musical highlights of the show, particularly given it sees the return of real-life partners Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton in the roles they first premiered in that opening run.
They revel in one of the show’s most jaw-dropping sequences as they frolic in an old Cadillac as they reminisce on their courtship while belting out a lusty Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Later in the show they triumph as they reunite to belt out the finale.
My personal favourites are the roles of proudly independent woman Zahara, a fierce and flawless Georgia Bradshaw, keen not to fall for the persistent Jagwire, the vocally superb Ryan Carter.
Their duets on Two out of Three Ain't Bad and later Dead Ringer to Love, complete with thrilling dance moves, would be worthy of their own music videos they're that good.
Jagwire also leads one of the show's song highlights, the wordily-titled Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are.
It's goosebumps time as the ensemble join him to show off their vocals too in this absolute belter of a tune.
As the cast return to stave at the curtain call they thank Manchester for "always welcoming us back with open arms."
Open arms, whoops and cheers and nightly standing ovations are near guaranteed for this crowd-pleaser of a show.
Bat Out of Hell is at Manchester's Palace Theatre until Saturday, March 8.
