About the Show

…Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife

Jim Steinman’s epic rock and roll theatrical fantasy Bat Out of Hell The Musical, the inspiration for one of the most iconic and successful albums in history, is set to explode onto the Manchester Opera House and London Coliseum stages in 2017.

Join the eternally young Strat and his wild gang, The Lost, as they roam the streets of Obsidian, a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, ruled by the tyrennical Falco. When Strat first sets eyes on Falco’s daughter, Raven, who has been locked away in Falco Towers, he sets out to rescue her from her father’s clutches in a full throttle tale of teenage love, youthful rebellion and living the rock and roll dream.

Bat Out of Hell is a breathtaking new musical that features 17 of Meat Loaf’s greatest hits, including “I’d Do Anything for Love”, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)”, “Dead Ringer for Love”, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”, “Bat Out of Hell” and two new Jim Steinman originals written for the show.

City of Obsidian, year 2100…

David Sonenberg, Michael Cohl, Randy Lennox & Tony Smith

present

Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell The Musical

Book, music & lyrics
Jim Steinman

Additional book material
Stuart Beattie

Starring

Andrew Polec

Christina Bennington

Rob Fowler

Sharon Sexton

Featuring

Aran MacRae

Danielle Steers

Dom Hartley-Harris

Giovanni Spanó

Patrick Sullivan

Jemma Alexander, Emily Benjamin, Stuart Boother, Georgia Carling, Natalie Chua, Jonathan Cordin, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Jordan Lee Davies, Olly Dobson, Hannah Ducharme, Phoebe Hart, Rosalind James, Michael Naylor, Eve Norris, Tim Oxbrow, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Benjamin Purkiss, Anthony Selwyn, Courtney Stapleton, Ruben Van Keer

Associate Director
Andrea Ferran

Associate Choreographer
Suzanne Thomas

Musical Director
Robert Emery

Design Advertising & Marketing
Dewynters

Theatre Press Representative
Amanda Malpass PR

Music Press Representative
Outside Organisation

Production Photographer
Specular

Production Management
Simon Marlow

Associate Producer
Bat Out of Hell Holdings Ltd

UK General Management
Julian Stoneman & Mark Green for MPSI Ltd

US General Management
Roy Gabay for Jumpstart Entertainment

Orchestrator
Steve Sidwell

Casting Director
David Grindrod CDG

Fight Director
Rc-Annie

Set Designer
Jon Bausor

Costume Designer
Meentje Nielsen

Video Designer
Finn Ross

Lighting Designer
Patrick Woodroffe

Sound Designer
Gareth Owen

Musical Supervisor & Additional Arrangements
Michael Reed

Choreographer
Emma Portner

Director
Jay Scheib

Cast

At certain performances, the role of Strat will be played by Benjamin Purkiss

Understudies

Band

Creatives

Production Team

First performance at the Manchester Opera House: 17 February 2017.

The show runs for approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes including one intermission.

Mr. Polec kindly performs under the British Actors Equity and Broadway Equity Exchange Programme.

Cast

Andrew Polec

Strat

Andrew Polec

Andrew Polec “would do anything for love” and is “all revved up” to make his UK debut.

He recently played Matt in The Fantasticks (Off Broadway), John Andre in The General From America (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), Troilus in Troilus and Cressida (Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble), Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Peter in Ivanov (Trinity Repertory Company), and Max in Where the Wild Things Are (Providence Fringe Festival). Other productions include The Tooth of Crime, Pericles, Twelfth Night, In the Blood, The Hunchback of Seville, Melena, and Es Mentira.

Albums include Ben Fold’s Presents: University A Capella and Welcome to Khat House. Veteran MTV watchers might recognize him from a featured role in SuperMADE.

Andrew holds an MFA from the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Program and a BA in English and Music from the University of Rochester in association with the Eastman School of Music. He’s hoping for a PhD at some point, but “two out of three ain’t bad”.

Andrew’s grateful to the amazing cast, crew, and Bat Out of Hell team for sharing all their talents and making this show possible.

@andrewpolec

Christina Bennington

Raven

Christina Bennington

Christina trained at Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre credits include: Johanna Barker in Sweeney Todd (Derby/Mercury Theatre Colchester), Kim/cover Magnolia in Show Boat (New London Theatre), Marlene Hardcastle in The Smallest Show on Earth (UK Tour), cover Laurey in Oklahoma! (UK Tour), Sharon in Finian’s Rainbow (Charing Cross Theatre) and Marilyn/Sovereign in A Christmas Carol (Birmingham Repertory Theatre).

Workshops include: Evie in Am Dram: A Musical Comedy, Cathy in The Famished Land and Susan in Steven Luke Walker’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Roles while training include: Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar, Peaches in Jerry Springer the Opera, Eleanor in Footloose and Dory/cover Mary in Merrily We Roll Along.

Recordings include: The Little Prince (BBC), Paradise Lost and The In-Between.

Christina is thrilled to be a part of Bat Out of Hell and would love to thank her fantastic family for their ongoing support.

@christinabenn

Rob Fowler

Falco

Rob Fowler

Born in England, Rob trained as a Mechanical Engineer, but decided to pursue a career as an actor, starting out with the UK touring production of The Buddy Holly Story during which was asked to join the cast of the German production of Starlight Express in the roles of Caboose and Rusty/Greaseball.

Stage appearances include: Rum Tum Tugger in Cats, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Berger in Hair, Death in Elizabeth, Jamie in The Last Five Years, Corny Collins in Hairspray, Galileo in We Will Rock You, the title role in Frank Wildhorn's Dracula, Joe in Carmen Cubana and Dan Goodman in Next to Normal.

As a composer, lyricist and frontman of the rock band Morton, Fowler released his first album Pillowtalk enjoying heavy rotation radio airplay with singles ‘Sorry’, ‘Irish Girl’, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’.

In 2008 Fowler returned to acting, this time in front of the camera in the Austrian romantic TV comedy series Ex.

Together with Beat4Feet Fowler co-wrote the official EHF Champions League 2014 song ‘Do It Like Us’.

As Frank’n’Furter in the 2008 original cast of Richard O’Brien’s European touring production of The Rocky Horror Show Reloaded Fowler attracted an abundance of new fans and followers.

Fowler is currently working on an original musical The Boy Next Door with Stephen Clark, Steven Dexter and Matt Smith.

Rob dedicates his performance to the late Stephen Clark.

Sharon Sexton

Sloane

Sharon Sexton

Sharon trained at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin, where she was awarded the Showboat prize for Best Musical Theatre Performer, in her final year. She also holds a first class MA from University College Dublin. She enjoys a diverse career as a performer, theatre maker and cabaret artist.

Recent credits include the West End production of Billy Elliot — the Musical (Lesley/Dead Mum cover), for which she was nominated for Broadway World UK's Best Understudy of the Year Award. She made her West End debut in Roddy Doyle's The Commitments (original cast) directed by Jamie Lloyd, at The Palace Theatre.

Sharon is most recoginzed for her award-winning portrayal of Liza Minnelli in Biscuits For Breakfast's production of the hit, one-woman show Somewhere Under The Rainbow. Other theatre credits include: Conchita Alvarez in Copacabana (UK Tour); Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin); Kathleen Clarke in A Fit Wife For A Revolutionary (Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin); Collagen in Anglo — the Musical (Irish Premiere, Board Gáis Energy Theatre); Nancy in Oliver! (National Concert Hall, Dublin); Kate in Girls Night — the Musical (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and national Tour); Surfia in I-Keano (Olympia Theatre and national tour); Lily St Regis in Annie (National Concert Hall, Dublin) and Lucy Harris in Jekyll & Hyde (National Concert Hall).

Television credits include RTE's Fair City and the black comedy Quinn & O'Grady. Sharon originated the role of Shannon in Irish — the Musical, recorded for PBS Television broadcast.

@SharonSextonIRE

Aran MacRae

Tink

Aran MacRae

Aran recently graduated from the 3 year Musical Theatre course at Guildford School of Acting and is thrilled to step into the shoes of Tink in Bat Out of Hell.

Professional credits include: Branwell Bronte in the workshop of Wasted at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Ensemble in the workshop of Kali’s Toenail at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Skooba in The Wawel Dragon at The Scoop, Southbank and Dr Zossimov in Crime and Punishment — The Rock Musical at The Scoop, Southbank.

Credits whilst training include: Perchick in Fiddler on the Roof at GSA, Joe Casey in Our House at GSA, Ensemble in Sam Bailey in Concert at The Lyric Theatre, Ensemble in Josh Groban: Stages Tour at The Hammersmith Apollo, Ensemble in The Olivier’s at The Royal Festival Hall, Willie Lopez in Ghost The Musical at the Ivy Arts Center, Dr Detmold in Anyone Can Whistle at The Mill Studio, Richard in Richard III at GSA, Ensemble in Honk at GSA, Agamemnon in The Oresteia at GSA and Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady at GSA.

Aran dedicates his performance to his family and friends for their years of love, support and patience.

Danielle Steers

Zahara

Danielle Steers

Danielle trained at SLP college, Leeds.

Theatre credits include: Beautiful — the Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), The Bodyguard (Adelphi Theatre), We Will Rock You (International Arena Tour), Hairspray (Aberystwyth Arts Centre), Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre) and Respect La Diva (Garrick Theatre).

Other work includes: ITV’s Sunday Night at the Palladium.

@DanielleSteers

Dom Hartley-Harris

Jagwire

Dom Hartley-Harris

For the last year, Dom has performed in London's West End production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical as one of The Drifters. He has also worked with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre where he played the role of Vince in Accidental Brummie.

In 2015, Dom graduated from the Birmingham School of Acting. Theatre credits whilst training include: Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Damis in Tartuffe, Darren / Vince in Days of Significance, Tom in The Faith Machine and was part of the Ensemble in RENT.

He is absolutely thrilled to be joining the cast of such a wonderful show.

Giovanni Spanó

Ledoux

Giovanni Spanó

Giovanni trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School and Laine Theatre Arts.

Giovanni has just finished playing Harry The Horse in Guys and Dolls at The Savoy Theatre and at The Phoenix Theatre.

Other theatre credits include Featured Vocalist in Dance Til Dawn (Tour/ Aldwych Theatre), Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), Simon Zealotes in the National Arena Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar (Really Useful/AEG), Lead Vocalist in Bohemian Rhapsody on Tour (Spirit Production), Doody in Grease (Piccadilly Theatre), Pepper in Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales Theatre), Willard in Footloose (West End and National Tour), Wonderful Town (Royal Exchange Manchester and National Tour), Goody in Fame (National Tour), Clarence In Whistle Down The Wind (Aldwych Theatre), Robin in Falstaff (The Royal Opera House), Tootles in Peter Pan (Royal Festival Hall), Aladdin in Aladdin (Theatre Royal Windsor), Cousin Kevin in Tommy (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Jack and the Beanstalk (Kings Theatre Edinburgh – Qdos) and Dick Whittington (New Theatre Cardiff – Qdos).

Screen credits include: Holby City (BBC), The Professional (Supra Deus Productions), Nowhere (Supra Deus Productions), Internet Killed The Video Store Trailer (Orchard Productions), Jesus Christ Superstar Arena DVD (Universal Pictures), Dance Til Dawn – Royal Variety Performance and the feature film Risky Business.

Original Cast recordings include: Whistle Down The Wind, Bugsy Malone and Peter Pan.

He is also frontman of the rock band deVience.

@GiovanniSpano5

Patrick Sullivan

Blake

Patrick Sullivan

Patrick trained at Cork Arts Studio Stageworks and Arts Educational Schools London.

Theatre includes: The Wind in The Willows (UK Tour), Carrie The Musical (Southwark Playhouse), Beauty and the Beast (Cork Opera House), Bernstein of Stage and Screen (National Concert Hall) and The Olivier Awards (Royal Opera House).

Theatre whilst training includes: The Addams Family, Catch Me If You Can and Sunday in the Park with George.

Radio includes: Friday Night is Music Night.

Workshops include: Unravelling.

@Patrick_B_O_S

Jemma Alexander

Crysteva

Jemma Alexander

Jemma trained at London School of Musical Theatre graduating with distinction.

Theatre credits include: Jeannie in The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Waterloo East Theatre), played the role of Elphaba, after previously acting as Standby for Elphaba in Wicked (Original UK Tour), Joanne in RENT (20th Anniversary Concert UK Tour), Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities (Charing Cross Theatre), Mrs Simpson, u/s Mrs Walker in Tommy (English Theatre, Frankfurt), Maid, u/s and played Maria Merelli in Lend Me A Tenor (Gielgud Theatre & Theatre Royal, Plymouth), Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain (Broadway Studio Theatre), Susan, Toni, u/s and played Pam Lukowski in The Full Monty (New Players Theatre) and Gouda in Hope (Bridewell Theatre).

Film Credits include: The Housewife in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Television credits include: Ensemble in ITV’s The Sound of Music Live.

Original cast recordings include: Tommy and Lend Me A Tenor.

Emily Benjamin

Mordema

Emily Benjamin

Hailing from the South Welsh valleys, Emily trained in Musical Theatre at Performance Preparation Academy in Guildford.

Roles while training include Dinah in Starlight Express, Arlene Baby (Bellerby Studio Theatre) and Nickie in Sweet Charity (Yvonne Arnaud).

Workshops: Steph/Marlene in Summer Street (Regents Studio), Theresa in Can't Stop It (Dominion Studio) and Luca in Tracks (Bellerby Studio).

Bat Out of Hell marks Emily's professional debut and she could not be more thrilled to be rocking out to the music that she was brought up on.

Stuart Boother

Batfish (Swing) & Fight Captain

Stuart Boother

From London, Stuart originally trained in musical theatre at Mountview, and then went on to study acting in LA with Bernard Hiller, and stunt combat with Cloudio Pacifico, Italy. He trained as an operatic Tenor for over 10 years with Ian Baar and Carl Penlington-Williams.

Stuart began his professional career in the West End, singing lead roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables and more, before moving into films such as Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean, as both actor and stuntman. He’s performed alongside screen legends like Jenny Agutter and Johnny Depp and most recently originated the title role in Resort World Sentosa’s multi-million dollar production; The Lightseeker.

Since touring a solo cabaret around China in 2013, he has travelled the world as lead vocalist in two exciting productions, Viva Voce and Disney in Concert, which played with some of the biggest orchestras around Europe.

He also spent time training with the Shaolin monks in China, and continues to train in a variety of skills, hoping to join the British stunt register soon.

www.stuartboother.co.uk

Georgia Carling

Valkyrie

Georgia Carling

Georgia trained at London Studio Centre, BA (Hons), where she graduated with the Dame Anna Neagle Award.

Theatre includes: covered and played Cherry and Mrs Pratchett in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Rosamund in Beauty and the Beast (Oxford Playhouse), Jodie/ Cover Ariadne in Water Babies: A New Musical Adventure (Original Cast, Leicester Curve), Chess (Channel Islands Tour), Swing/ Cover Penny Pingleton in Hairspray (UK & Ireland Tour) and Angelina in Angelina Ballerina The Mousical (UK & Ireland Tour).

Georgia is so excited to be a part of Bat Out of Hell and would like to thank her family and friends for their ongoing support.

@GeorgiaGraceC

Natalie Chua

Spinotti (Swing)

Natalie Chua

Natalie trained at the Urdang Academy.

Theatre Credits include: Disco Girl in The Donkey Show (Proud Camden), Yoko Ono in The Sessions Live The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios (UK Tour), Ensemble u/s Ellen & Gigi in Miss Saigon (West End), Diane in Bare (Union Theatre, London), Dick Whittington (Harlow Playhouse), The Life (Urdang Academy), Once On This Island (Urdang Academy) and The King and I (UK Tour).

Television & Film Credits include: Hogwarts Student in Harry Potter.

Other Credits include: Female Dancer in The Universe (Television), On Stage Swing in Bat Out Of Hell (Workshop), Singer in Angelis and Dancer for the Disney Channel Awards.

For more information on Natalie, please visit www.access-uk.com

@Natalie_Chua

Jonathan Cordin

Hollander

Jonathan Cordin

Jonathan trained at the Cambridge Performing Arts College at Bodywork Studios. He was head boy and graduated with a distinction in professional musical theatre.

For the last two years, Jonathan has performed as swing, gym captain and cover Michael and Doctor in the RSC production of Matilda — the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre.

Other theatre credits: swing, cover Billy, Neil and Jordan in Dirty Dancing (Piccadilly Theatre and original UK tour); featured dancer in Little Belter (UK tour); Quintus in When in Rome… (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Dick Whittington and Aladdin (Towngate Theatre).

He is very excited to be a member of the original cast for the world premiere of Bat Out of Hell The Musical.

@Jono_Cordin

Amy Di Bartolomeo

Liebeswoosh

Amy Di Bartolomeo

Amy trained at Italia Conti Academy.

Theatre credits include: Diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (New Zealand), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK tour), Starlight Express (Germany), The Rat Pack Boys (UK tour), Dick Whittington in Dick Whittington (Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock).

Theatre whilst training: Cassie in A Chorus Line; Charity in Sweet Charity.

Amy would like to thank her family and friends for all their love and continuing support, and is thrilled to make her West End debut in the summer.

@AmyDiBartolomeo

Jordan Lee Davies

Krolocker (Swing)

Jordan Lee Davies

Jordan is originally from the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales and trained at the Guildford School of Acting graduating in 2011.

Theatre credits includes: Les Miserables 25th anniversary production (Dubai), Actor 3 in the The Shakespeare Revue (tour); Q in Stiles and Drewe's 3 Little Pigs (tour); Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre); Nanki-Poo in The Mikado (WMTO); Sondheim Men (St. James); Kitten in Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory: in Concert (Phoenix); Peter in Peter Pan (Blackpool Grand Theatre); Dickon in Secret Garden: in Concert (tour); Alan in Bare: The Rock Opera (Union); Soloist in Thursford Christmas Spectacular; Montag in BURN! (ELAN Frantoio, Italy); tenor in The International Magic Tenors (European tour); Good Fairy/Bumble in The Tailors Daughter (WMC/Belfast Opera House) and Jack in Into the Woods (International Festival of Musical Theatre).

Television includes: Jordan appeared on 'The Voice UK' series 2 reaching WILL.I.AM's top 6.

Concerts include: My Fair Lady 60th anniversary concert (St Paul’s); Kings of Broadway (Palace); Jordan Lee Davies in concert (St James/the Pheasantry); Lead soloist in Disney in Concert (St David’s Hall) and Lost Boy in Showtime at the Stadium.

Jordan would like to thank his wonderful family for their continued love and support.

@Jordanleedavies

Olly Dobson

Vanveeteren

Olly Dobson

Olly trained at The Arts Educational Schools, London.

Theatre credits include: Matilda (RSC, West End) and Carrie (Southwark Playhouse).

Theatre whilst training includes: FBI Agent in Catch Me If You Can, Bobby in Company, Jacey Squires in The Music Man and Che in Evita.

Other credits include: The One Show (BBC Television), Strictly Ballroom The Musical, (Stage Entertainment), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), Rags the Musical in Concert (Lyric Theatre, West End), Beauty and the Beast (Camberley Theatre), The Laurence Olivier Awards 2013 and 2014 (Royal Opera House) and Kerry Ellis in Concert (London Palladium).

Hannah Ducharme

Vilmos (Swing)

Hannah Ducharme

Originally from Portsmouth, Hannah trained at Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts. After graduating she pursued her passion for dance in international critically acclaimed Spirit of the Dance. In her time there she played lead roles including ‘The Spirit’ and 'Irish lead'. Over the next few years she also was a part of The Rat Pack, Dancing Queen and Broadway! — the Star-Spangled Celebration, which took her on several US and European Tours also being resident in Las Vegas (NV), Myrtle Beach (SC) and Reno (NV).

Hannah then went on to work for Royal Caribbean as a featured singer for the next few years until she was asked to play the lead role of 'Scaramouche' in We Will Rock You on the Anthem of the Seas.

Hannah is delighted to be making her West End debut in Bat Out Of Hell and would like to thank her agent, family and husband for their continuous support.

Phoebe Hart

Bessamey & Assistant Dance Captain

Phoebe Hart

Phoebe is a contemporary dance performer and maker.

She graduated from Trinity Laban in 2014 with a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance and then furthered her studies by completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Studies at London Contemporary Dance School. Her dance foundations are built from her time in the Shoreditch Youth Dance Company, where she toured works by Lee Smikle around the UK and Europe.

Phoebe toured extensively with Richard Alston Dance Company as an apprentice and worked with Richard Alston, Martin Lawrence and Ajani Johnson-Goffe, performing on stages such as Sadler's wells, London. She has performed both repertory and new works across UK, Sweden, America and Australia. Phoebe is passionate about experimenting in dance; she has also danced in developments with such artists as Dane Hurst, Lea Anderson and Tony Thatcher.

Phoebe is honored to be making het musical theatre debut in Bat Out Of Hell and would like to thank Emma Portner for the opportunity.

Rosalind James

Kwaidan

Rosalind James

Rosalind trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, London.

Theatre credits include: The Life (English Theatre Of Frankfurt), The Lady of the Road in Blues in the Night for The Last Refuge, Diana Ross in Dancing in The Streets on Tour, Sarah in The Landor's revival of Ragtime and Dionne in Hair (Arena Tour, Netherlands).

Other theatre: Éponine in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables (International Tour and Barbican Theatre); the 2010 cast recording and sang at the historic Les Miserables Concert at London's 02 Arena; Rosa in Gone With the Wind (New London Theatre); Daddy Cool (Shaftesbury Theatre/ Berlin); Elizabeth in Whistle Down The Wind (Aldwych); Bet in Oliver! (London Palladium); Alice in Dick Whittington and His Cat (Lyric, Hammersmith); The Wiz (workshop, Birmingham Rep); Hair (English Theatre Frankfurt); Florence in The Spotted Cow and The Piano Forte (Wiltons Music Hall); Simone in Release The Beat (Arcola); Soul Girl in Jesus Christ Superstar (UK tour) and Rent (Dublin Olympia).

Her television credits include: Serena Richards in The Bill (Thames); Jonathan Creek (BBC); Disney Club (Buena Vista) and Children’s Royal Variety Show (BBC/Dominion Theatre).

For BBC Radio, she has played Shereene in King Street Juniors and Rosalind in Listen And Write. Rosalind was lead backing vocalist for Just Jack on the albums The Outer Marker and Overtones.

Michael Naylor

Denym & Dance Captain

Michael Naylor

Michael’s professional training began in 2010 at London Studio Centre, where he graduated in 2013 with a BA (Hons) in Theatre dance. He had trained in hiphop and street dance for many years prior.

Theatre credits include: Blaze (International tour), Young Voices Tour (02 arena), Breakin' Convention, Global Village Main Stage Show (Choreographer and Performer) and Splash (Royal Festival Hall).

Commercial credits include: Adidas, Reebok, Red Bull, Beats by Dre, Channel 4, E4, Keisza (Summertime Ball) and more.

Michael is thrilled to be making his musical theatre debut in Bat Out of Hell and is very grateful for the opportunity.

Eve Norris

Scherzzo

Eve Norris

Eve graduated from the Guildford School of Acting in 2016.

Credits while training include: Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Stepmother in Into the Woods and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof.

Other credits include: The Oliviers in Concert.

Eve is thrilled to be making her professional debut in Bat Out of Hell.

@eve_norris

Tim Oxbrow

Markevitch

Tim Oxbrow

Tim has most recently played Judas Iscariot in the European Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Other theatre credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (UK Tour), Chess (Union Theatre), Honk! (Tabard Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Festival Ljubljana), Songs form the American Motel (Leicester Square Theatre), Legacy Falls (New Players Theatre), Der Freischutz (Broadway Theatre), Dog Sees God (Tristan Bates Theatre), Rent (English Theatre Frankfurt), Breaking News (Arts Theatre), The Tempest (Shakespeare Festival of Dallas), Theatre of Dreams (Bridgewater Hall), Spiderman (UK Tour), Ice Cream Castles (3 Mills Studio), Beautiful Thing (Rhoda McGraw Theatre), A Slice of Saturday Night (The Electric Theatre) and The Pirates of Penzance (Cannizzaro Park).

TV credits include: Equiano — Tales of the Empire (BBC).

Music videos: ‘What's the Matter’, Sofia Hayats debut Single.

Assistant Director credits include: Casper (Shaftesbury Theatre, West End) and 1776 (Fords Theatre Washington DC).

Andrew Patrick-Walker

Liberame (Swing)

Andrew Patrick-Walker

Training: Performance Preparation Academy (PPA) and The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT).

Theatre credits include: Margaret Mead in HAIR (Hope Mill Theatre), Ryan in Out Of The Lens (Waterloo East Theatre), Genie in Aladdin (Harlequin Theatre, Redhill) and Muddles in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Theatre Royal Nottingham).

Film credits include: The Muppets Most Wanted (2014).

Workshops include: Justin in Can't Stop It (The Dominion Theatre).

Andrew is thrilled to be joining the cast of Bat Out Of Hell.

@ItsAndrewWalker

Benjamin Purkiss

Hoffman & alternate Strat

Benjamin Purkiss

Benjamin trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Professional Credits include: Woolhaven/Ensemble in Allegro (Southwark Playhouse).

Credits whilst training: Emmett in Legally Blonde, Ensemble in Kiss Me Kate, Al Dale/Sandler in Hoods and Gilbert Worthy in Lockhart.

Benjamin is thrilled to be a part of this show and to be making his West End Debut in the summer.

@BenjaminPurkiss

Anthony Selwyn

O’Dessasuite

Anthony Selwyn

Anthony trained at Bird College, in Dance and Musical Theatre.

Since graduating he has played Tamate in Pacific Overtures (Union Theatre), Sketch in Hairspray (Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, Macau), u/s and played Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk (Bimingham Hippodrome), IQ & cover Corny Collins in Hairspray (UK Tour), Darren and understudy Max in 27: the Rise of a Falling Star (Cockpit Theatre).

@Anthony_Selwyn

Courtney Stapleton

Goddesilla (Swing)

Courtney Stapleton

Courtney graduated from Arts Educational Schools London.

Courtney made her stage debut in Mamma Mia! (West End) and has since appeared in Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Miserables (West End), Kerry Ellis Live at the Palladium and the Olivier Awards.

Theatre whilst training includes: Sasha Larkin in Soho Cinders, Grace Shinn in The Music Man, Marta in Company, Phyllis in Iolanthe and Frank’s Girlfriend in Catch Me If You Can.

Courtney would like to thank her friends and family for the continued love and support and she is thrilled to be joining the cast of Bat Out of Hell.

Ruben Van keer

Esquivel

Ruben Van keer

Born and raised in Belgium, Ruben discovered his love for theatre at a young age.

After graduating in Physical Education, Ruben moved to The Netherlands to study Music Theatre at the Fontys Conservatoire. Whilst training he played Hamlet in Hamlet, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alan Strang in Equus. He gained professional theatre experience as Bernstein in Dogfight.

In 2016, he graduated from the Musical Theatre course at the Royal Academy of Music. Whilst training at the Royal Academy he played Robert in Company, directed by Sam Yates; and Anthony in Sweeney Todd, directed by Michael Fentiman.

Recent UK concert work includes: Musical Theatre Classics, directed by Stephen Brooker.

Ruben is thrilled to make his West End and international debut in Bat Out of Hell.

@RubenVankeer

Creatives

Jim Steinman

Book, Music and Lyrics

Although Jim began in theatre, he is best known as a songwriter/producer whose records have sold more than 190,000,000 million copies worldwide. He was described by the L.A. Times as "the Richard Wagner of rock." At Amherst College he wrote and starred in an epic musical called The Dream Engine. It caused a sensation, and N.Y. Shakespeare Festival's Joe Papp bought the rights at intermission. His first professional musical was More Than You Deserve at Papp’s Public Theater, where he worked for five years. When a singer named Meat Loaf auditioned for him, Spin Magazine called the meeting "one of the top ten most important moments in the history of rock and roll." Then came his first record, the legendary Bat Out of Hell, with Meat Loaf, the biggest debut album ever and the second best selling disc of all time. Jim is the only person in the Top 20 Albums of All Time to have written all songs — music and lyrics. The sequel Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell topped the charts in 38 countries 16 years later in 1993. He wrote all of the songs on 2016's chart topping, Braver Than We Are, by Meat Loaf.

#1 songs include: ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ (three times: 1983, 1995 and 2003), ‘Paradise By The Dashboard Light’, ‘Dead Ringer’, ‘Making Love Out Of Nothing At All’, ‘Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad’, ‘Holding Out For A Hero’, ‘I'd Do Anything For Love But I Won't Do That’ (biggest rock single sales ever), ‘It's All Coming Back To Me Now’, which was named the 1997 Song Of The Year by BMI, for having had the most broadcasts worldwide — 1.6 million, and ‘No Matter What’, by Boyzone (record of the year in England for 1998 and #1 in 18 countries — the most successful single ever released from a musical in history). He won a Grammy award as producer for Best Album of the year, Celine Dion's Falling Into You. He made one platinum album as a singer, Bad For Good.

Film music includes Footloose, Streets of Fire, The Shadow, and Mask of Zorro. He has also written the score for Tanz der Vampire — a musical staged by Roman Polanski which opened in Vienna, October of '1997 to rave reviews and record box office, and is currently still selling out as it approaches it's 20th year, with productions running throughout Europe and in Russia. It has played or is currently on stage in Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Budapest, Warsaw, Helsinki, New York and Paris. Jim has also conceived and executive produced the film, and wrote songs/score for, Wuthering Heights (2003) for MTV.

Jim Steinman was inducted in to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2012, received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Amherst College, in 2013 and entered the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in November, 2016.

His music has permeated popular culture the world over. His distinctive, over-the-top style has influenced a genre of music and such songs are often referred to as Steinmanesque. He is known as the Father of the Power Ballad and one of the founders of epic rock.

Bat Out of Hell The Musical is a fifty year long dream coming to fruition. The DNA of this project can be found in nearly every song Jim has ever written.

Jay Scheib

Director

Jay Scheib is a director, author and adapter of plays, operas, ballets and hybrid live art performance events. Known for genre-defying works of daring physicality and the integration of new technologies in live performance, Scheib is the recipient of both a Guggenheim and an Obie Award for Direction. Garnering rave reviews and accolades internationally, Scheib’s production of Thomas Adès’ opera Powder her Face for New York City Opera at BAM was called “dazzling” by Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times. Of Scheib's Fassbinder adaptation "World of Wires," which premiered at The Kitchen in New York, followed by an international tour, Ben Brantley of The New York Times hailed the production for its "revved-up young ensemble that exudes a real-life, in-the-moment, hormone-popping glow…"

Other recent works include new stagings of two operas by Giorgos Kouroupou, Pylades and Jocasta for the Athens Festival in Greece; an original opera adaptation of Bergman's Persona with composer Keeril Makan, which premiered in New York followed by performances at the Gardner Museum in Boston; Luigi Nono’s No hay camino hay que caminar as ouverture to Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse under the title “Odyssee.” Scheib's new staging opened the season of the newly restructured Staatstheater Darmstadt in Germany and played to sold out houses with two extended runs; and the multiplatform staging Platonov, or the Disinherited, premiered as part of the Without Walls Festival at La Jolla Playhouse followed by a three week run at The Kitchen in New York City. Conceived as a 100 minute, single-take feature film, Scheib’s adaptation of Chekhov’s play was broadcast live from The Kitchen to the AMC Empire 25 Cinema in Times Square and to BAM Rose Cinema in Brooklyn. Named Best New York Theater Director by Time Out New York in 2009, and one of the 25 theater artists shaping the next 25 years of American theater by American Theater Magazine, Scheib is also the recipient of the MIT Edgerton Award, The Richard Sherwood Award, and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts/TCG program for directors.

Scheib holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Direction from Columbia University School of the Arts and a Professorship for Music and Theater Arts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he directs the program in Theater Arts.

Scheib would like to say a specian thank you to Laine Reumer for all the love and support.

Emma Portner

Choreographer

Emma Portner breaks boundaries. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Emma shares her unique abilities internationally, in live settings, and across social media platforms. Her performance and choreography appear in Justin Bieber's Life Is Worth Living video as well as on his Purpose World Tour.

The New York Times calls her "beguiling." Dance Spirit Magazine writes, "Her intricate, gestural work requires the coiled energy of a large predator." According to Dance Spirit, she is one of 13 young choreographers "changing the dance world." In 2012, American Dance Awards named her "young choreographer of the year”. Since then, her choreography has won several awards, including top placement in the 2014 CAPEZIO A.C.E awards.

Emma's obsession with dance began at Leeming Danceworks Studio in Ottawa. She trained with the prestigious National Ballet School of Canada, graduated with honors from Canterbury High School of the Performing Arts. Later went on to study at the Ailey School in New York City. She has had the privilege of training with the acclaimed Rubberbandance Group, and she regularly attends Springboard Danse Montreal where she has worked with members of Batsheva Dance Company, Kidd Pivot, and Netherlands Dance Theatre.

Emma manages and directs her New York based contemporary dance company, teaches across North America and Europe, and is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Peridance, and Intrigue Dance Convention. She is most proud to be a member of Michelle Dorrance's respected tap dance company Dorrance Dance. Most recently, you can find her on the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine for her continued and untraditional success. Forever a student, Emma hopes to keep pushing boundaries while remaining curious, honest, and versatile.

She is now the youngest woman (in documented history) to choreograph a musical.

Michael Reed

Musical Supervisor and Additional Arrangements

Michael Reed, conductor, studied at the Royal College of Music (Tagore Gold Medal winner). He has conducted over twenty West End shows including Phantom of the Opera, Barnum, On the Twentieth Century, Aspects of Love, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Whistle Down the Wind, Mr Cinders and Singin’ in the Rain. He was musical supervisor for the worldwide production of many of Nadrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals and also his 50th birthday concert. Michael’s internation credits include Dance of the Vampires (directed by Roman Polanski); Die drei Musketiere, Ich war noch niemals in New York, Dällebach Kari and Gotthelf.

Compositions include: Der Besch der alten Dame (with Moritz Schneider); Garbo (with Warner Brown and Jim Steinman); War in Heaven (with Fay Weldon); Rock in a Hard Place (with John Theakston); four Holiday on Ice productions, and The Beauty of Magic (Las Vegas).

Film, television and radio: five Royal Variety Shows, The Eurovision Song Contest; three Royal Galas (Prince’s Trust); Guys and Dolls; A Little Night Music; Jesus Christ Superstar (BBC Radio 2); dance music for Victor/Victoria, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (DVD) and Furia (Music by Brian May).

Recordings: cast albums including Coward’s Bitter Sweet, Ziegfeld, The Phantom of the Opera, Michael Crawford performs Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman’s Surrender album, Jose Carreras’ Passion album and the single ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ (Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli).

Most recently: Sunset Boulevard (ENO/Londen Coliseum) and Der Medicus (Fulda), where he won with Roy Moore the Deutsche Musical Theatre Prize for Best Orchestrations.

Forthcoming: Rock in a Hard Place (London); I Am From Austria (Vienna) and Bat Out of Hell (Manchester and London).

Jon Bausor

Set Designer

Jon Bausor trained at the Motley theatre design course after studying Music as a choral scholar at Oxford University.

He designed the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London in 2012.

As a set and costume designer, Jon has designed extensively in dance, opera and theatre for companies worldwide including The Royal Opera House, Roayl National Theatre, London, National Theatre of Scotland, Abbey Theatre, Dublin, Young Vic, Theatre de Complicité and both Finnish and Norwegian National Ballets.

As an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company he has designed numerous productions including Hamlet, King Lear, The Winter’s Tale and the entire 2012 What Country Friends Is This? season.

Other significant theatre includes: Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), You for Me for You (Royal Court Theatre — nominated for Best Design, Olivier Awards),; The Ginning Man (Bristol Old Vic); The Plough and the Stars (Abbey Theatre / US tour); Lord of the Flies (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Ghost Stories (West End/Toronto/Moscow); Mametz (National Theatre of Wales- Best Design, UK Theatre Awards, and Best Design, Welsh Theatre Awards); The Believers (Frantic Assembly); Terminus (Abbey Theatre, Dublin/Melbourne/Public Theatre, New York); Kursk (Young Vic/Sound and Fury — nominated for Best Design, Evening Standard Awards); I Am Yusuf and This Is My Brother (Young Vic/Shebbahurr, Palestine); Lionboy (Complicité/New York) and Water (Filter/B.A.M. New York/Sydney).

Opera and dance includes: Hansel and Gretel (Royal Opera House); The Knot Garden (Vienna); Queen of Spades (Edinburgh Festival Theatre); The Lighthouse (Montepulciano); No Man’s Land (English National Ballet); Scribblings (Rambert); Blood Wedding (Finnish National Ballet); Carmen, and Stravinsky’s Firebird (Norwegian National Opera and Ballet).

He has recently designed and co-directed a new production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker for Norwegian National Ballet.

Forthcoming work includes a new Take That musical, The Band, premiering at the Manchester Opera House, and a new colaboration with Underworld and Frantic Assebly for the Manchester International Festival.

Meentje Nielsen

Costume Designer

German costume designer Meentje Nielsen makes her Royal Opera debut in the 2015/16 Season on Il trovatore, directed by David Bösch and then goes to The National Opera Amsterdam for Le Nozze di Figaro.

Nielsen was born in Hamburg. She studied design at the Berlin University of the Arts with Achim Freyer and began work in 1992 as a set and costume designer for the Berliner Ensemble at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, and at the Volksbühne Berlin. She has designed costumes for Bösch's opera productions of Orlando Furioso, Königskinder, Der fliegende Holländer (Frankfurt), Elektra (Opera Vlaanderen) and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Bavarian State Opera). She also works widely with Bösch in theatre, including on Blasted (Stuttgart State Theatre); Das Käthchen von Heilbronn and Drei Schwestern (Burgtheater, Vienna); Orest, Peer Gynt, Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (Residenztheater, Munich) and Otello, Kleiner Mann, was nun?, Die Ratten, Der Sturm and Der Diener zweier Herren (Schauspielhaus, Bochum).

Nielsen also works regularly with German director Anselm Weber, including on Ein Mann will nach oben, Es wird einmal, Richtfest, Opening Night, Vor Sonnenaufgang, the world premiere of Christoph Nussbaumeder's Eisenstein and Das Leben ist kein Fahrrad for Schauspielhaus Bochum, where she has also designed costumes for Mahir Günşiray's production of Faust. Her other work includes costume designs for Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, directed by Jay Scheib for Darmstadt State Theatre.

Finn Ross

Video Designer

Finn Ross trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and designs video and projection for live performance. He has won two Olivier’s, a Tony and a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award.

Recent work theatre includes: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Broadway/West End/NY), In the Body of the World and The Crossing (American Reparatory Theatre), American Psycho (Broadway & Almedia); Betrayal (Broadway); Chimerica (Almeida and West End), Closer (Donmar), Master and Margarita, All My Sons, Shunkin (Complicite), Damned by Despair and Green Land (RNT); Die Ringe des Saturn (Schauspielhaus, Köln), Ten Plagues (Traverse); Top Girls (Chichester/West End), and Sunset Boulevard (Gothenburg Opera).

Opera includes: The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Royal Opera House), Missa Solemnis (LA Philharmonic); Benvenuto Cellini, Death of Klinghoffer, Death in Venice, Onegin, Simon Boccanegra, Damnation of Faust and Don Giovanni, (ENO); Hänsel und Gretel, Die Zäuberflote, A Dog’s Heart (Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam); La clemenza di Tito, Mr Brouček (Opera North), Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Béatrice et Bénédict, Turn of the Screw (Theatre an der Wien), Imago, Rinaldo, Knight Crew (Glyndebourne); Lady from the Sea (Scottish Opera); Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and Das Portrait (Bregenz).

Dance includes: Le Petit Prince (National Ballet of Canada), Frankenstein (Royal Ballet) and The Feeling of Going (Skånes Dansteater and Malmö Opera).

Patrick Woodroffe

Lighting Designer

For over 40 years Patrick Woodroffe has created the lighting for rock concerts, operas, ballet, architecture and special events.

He has lit and directed shows for artists as diverse as ABBA, Adele, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, The Police and Michael Jackson. He has worked for over thirty years with the Rolling Stones as the band’s lighting designer and creative director.

He has created works for the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, Bregenz Festival the and Helsinki Opera using lighting instead of scenery to convey mood, atmosphere and narrative.

Musical theatre credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Batman Live, Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers, West Side Story and Ben Hur Live. He also lit the 25th anniversary celebration of Les Miserables at the O2 Arena and Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall. In film, he lit This Is It with Michael Jackson, and Martin Scorsese’s Shine A Light, the record of the Rolling Stones in performance at the Beacon Theatre in New York. For over twenty years, he has lit the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Los Angeles.

He has created many permanent architectural lighting schemes, including those at the O2 Dome, the Lake of Dreams in Las Vegas, Highgrove House for HRH the Prince of Wales, Prague Castle, the Madejski Gardens at the V&A, and Somerset House in London.

In 2012 he lit the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympics Games in London with his long-time collaborator Adam Bassett, with whom he runs the international lighting design consultancy, Woodroffe Bassett Design. In 2014, Patrick was awarded OBE for a lifetime of services to the arts.

Gareth Owen

Sound Designer

Sound design award highlights: Olivier Award for Memphis, Olivier Award for Merrily We Roll Along, Tony nomination for A Little Night Music, Tony nomination for End Of The Rainbow, Olivier nomination for Top Hat, Olivier nomination for End Of The Rainbow. Pro Sound Award for Best Theatre Sound.

International design highlights: A Bronx Tale (Broadway), Come From Away (Broadway), Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Worldwide), Spring Awakening (Broadway), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Worldwide), Little Prince (Abu Dhabi), Secret Garden (Broadway), Sister Act (UK, Brazil, Italy, France, Holland), Disney’s Beauty & The Beast (Worldwide), Bodyguard (Holland), Let It Be (Broadway, London, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Italy, Germany), Titanic (Toronto), Singin’ In The Rain (UK, Russia, Japan, Germany, Australia), Evita (Las Vegas, Slovenia, Lebanon), Hairspray (UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia), Jesus Christ Superstar (US & European Arena Tours), Moeder Ik Wil De Revue (Holland), The Rocky Horror Show (London, UK, Australia), A Chorus Line (Israel), Fame (London, International Arena Tour), Glee Live (Worldwide Arena Tour), Hair (Slovenia, Spain, Japan), End Of The Rainbow (Broadway, London, Los Angeles), A Little Night Music (Broadway, London, Hungary), Sound Of Music (Malaysia), GREASE (Lebanon, Slovenia, USA), Expert At The Card Table (Las Vegas), Footloose (UK, South Africa, Germany), Buddy (International Arena Tour), Time Travel (Las Vegas), Saturday Night Fever (Korea, Spain, Taiwan), Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK, South Africa, France) and Cats (International Arena Tour).

West End musical design highlights: 42nd Street, Mrs Henderson Presents, Memphis, I Can’t Sing — the X-factor Musical, In The Heights, Impossible, Top Hat, Merrily We Roll Along, Candide, Pippin, Midnight Tango, Road Show, Aspects of Love, Sweet Charity, Carousel, Shout!, Fiddler On The Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Forbidden Broadway, High Society, Calamity Jane, The Big Life, tick, tick… Boom!, The Last Five Years and La Cage aux Follies.

UK tour design highlights: The Producers, Nine To Five, Strictly Basllroom, The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Tell Me on a Sunday, High School Musical 2, The Wedding Singer, Anything Goes, Godspell, Annie Get Your Gun, Summer Holiday and Flashdance.

Steve Sidwell

Orchestrator

Grammy award winner, Tony, Emmy and Oliver nominated arranger, composer, producer, conductor and trumpeter, Steve Sidwell, has featured on numerous albums, television shows, advertising campaigns and films with his distinctive and innovative orchestrations and compositions.

Television commissions include the 79th Academy Awards, the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony, the 2015 Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony, the BBC Music Awards, The Voice series one and two, Robbie Williams Live At The Albert Hall, Children In Need Rocks and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Theatre credits include orchestrating Beautiful — the Musical, We Will Rock You, Made in Dagenham, Our House and Daddy Cool.

Film credits include Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Teachers Pet, Spongebob Squarepants and Finding Nemo.

Recording credits include: Robbie Williams, George Michael, Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Mark Knopfler, Amy Winehouse, Snow Patrol, Lily Allen, James Bay, Hozier, Faithless, Cheryl Cole, Muse, Dizzy Rascal, Mika, Take That, Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, Tom Jones, Sting, Elton John, The Feeling, McFly, Will Young, Bryan Ferry, Joss Stone, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Gregory Porter, Ellie Goulding, Jess Glyne, The Who, Ian Dury, Wet Wet Wet, Charlie Watts, Henry Mancini and Michael Nyman.

www.stevesidwell.com

David Grindrod CDG

Casting

Theatre includes: Groundhog Day and Jekyll & Hyde (Old Vic); Matilda and School of Rock (adult casting); 42nd Street (Drury Lane); Mamma Mia! (Worldwide); Carousel, Sunset Boulevard and Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (English National Opera); 42nd Street, Singing’ in the Rain and Kiss Me, Kate (Théâtre de Châtelet, Paris); Fat Friends (Leeds); Evita (South-East Asia); Cats, Chicago, Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray, The Commitments, Shrek and Sunset Boulevard (UK tours) and Jesus Christ Superstar, Hello, Dolly! and Crazy for You (Open Air Theatre, Regents Park).

Regional casting includes: The Etienne Sisters and Fings Ain’t What They Used To Be (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Oliver! and My Fair Lady (Sheffield Crucible) and Paper Dolls (Tricycle).

Film include: musical casting: Mary Poppins Returns (Disney), directed by Rob Marshall; musical casting: Beauty & The Beast (Disney), directed by Bill Condon; UK dancer casting: Nine, directed by Rob Marshal; ensemble casting: Mamma Mia! directed by Phyllida Lloyd; and The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Joel Schumacher.

Television includes: The Sound of Music Live (ITV BAFTA Award), How Do You Solve A Problem like Maria (BBC — 2007 Emmy Award) and all subsequent Andrew Lloyd Weber talent searches.

David Grindrod Associates are members of The Casting Directors Guild of Great Britain and have recently been appointed as associate artist of the Old Vic Theatre under Matthew Warchus’ artistic direction.

Associate Casting Director: Will Burton CDG, Stephen Crockett CDG
Casting Assistant: Ella Darbyshire

Rc-Annie (Rachel Bown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown)

Fight Director

RC-Annie Ltd, established in 2005 by Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown, is the UK’s leading dramatic violence company.

Recent theatre credits include: Snow in Midsummer (RSC); Plastic (Theatre Royal Bash); Ugly Lies the Bone (National Theatre); The White Devil (Shakespeare’s Globe); Peter Pan (National Theatre); Comus (Shakespeare’s Globe); Imogen (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Boys in the Band (Park Theatre, UK tour and Vaudeville Theatre); Raslas Bach a Mawr! (Theatr Bara Caws); Dead Funny (Vaudeville Theatre); Insignificance (Theatr Clwyd); Punkplay (Southwark Playhouse); Boys Will Be Boys (Bush Theatre); The Three Penny Opera (National Theatre); Barnbow Canaries (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Invisible Hand (Tricycle Theatre); The Nap (Sheffield Crucible); Cleansed (National Theatre); Deathtrap (Sailsbury Playhouse); The James Plays (National Theatre of Scotland/EdinBurgh International Festival/National Theatre of Great Britain); Around the World in 80 Days (St James Theatre/Simon Friend Entertainment); My People (Teatr Clwyd); A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes (Tricycle Theatre); Richard III (West Yorkshire Playhouse); All My Sons (Theatr Clwyd) and The Mentalists (Old Vic Productions at the Wyndham’s Theatre).

Opera Credits include: Lucia di Lammermoor (Royal Opera House) and Tosca, The Wild Man of the West Indies and Jason (English Touring Opera).

Film credits include: Heretiks (the Gateway Movie Ltd); Arthur & Merlin (Myrddin Ltd); Howl (Silver Bullet Films); The Seasoning House (Sterling Pictures); Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (Yellow Knife); Deviation (Silver Leaf Pictures) and Ill Manors (Microwave).

Andrea Ferran

Associate Director

Andrea is a theatre and television director based in London and Los Angeles.

She began her carreer as director in residence at the National Theatre Studio, working in new play development with writers including Nick Stafford, Mike Barlett, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Jonas Hassen Khemeri. In 2013, she was awarded the National Theatre Leverhulme Directing Prize, where she commissioned Duncan Macmillan to adapt Don Juan Comes Back From the War, which went on to gain seven Off West End Theatre Award nominations. In 2015, she became resident director at Schauspiel Frankfurt. Her subsequent work has been staged at theatres across Germany, most notably the Schaubühne and Berliner Festspiele.

Recent theatre credits include: Villa/Discurso (Schaubühne); The Virgin Suicides and Black Beast Sorrow (Schauspiel Frankfurt); Tango (Young Vic); Hamlet Is Dead and No Gravity (Arcola); Neighbours, The Language Archive, Another Man’s Son and Horses in a Storm (National Theatre Studio); Sleeping Rough (HighTide); Fen (Rose, Kingston); Romeo and Juliet (Old Vic) and Far Away (Kennedy Center). Andrea also directed the UK premieres of Philip Glass’s Les Enfants Terribles and The Sound of a Voice.

Television credits include: Quantico (ABC) and 1992 (Sky Italia).

Commercials include: Audi, Nike, the Kooples, Puma, Sony and Samsung.

Andrea receivbed her MFA in Directing from Columbia University with honours. She is currently part of the director development programmes at the BCC, HBO and American Film Institute.

Suzanne Thomas

Associate Choreographer

Suzanne is a freelance Choreographer who trained at The Royal Ballet School and performed with The Royal Ballet and Rambert Dance Companies. She has directed the Olivier Awards Ceremony since 2007.

Choreography and movement credits include: Resident Choreographer on Jersey Boys (2009-2014); Assistant Choreographer on Jesus Christ Superstar (US Arena Tour); Associate Choreographer on Peggy Sue Got Married (Shaftesbury Theatre); Associate Choreographer on various Royal Variety Shows; and the Pop Idol Tour.

TV & Film credits include: Associate Choreographer on Captain America (Director — Joe Johnston); Associate Choreographer on Florence Foster Jenkins (Director — Stephen Frears); Choreographer on Star for a Night (BBC), Just Up Your Street (BBC) and re-staging for Strictly Come Dancing, The Ant & Dec Show, Paul O’Grady Show, Children In Need and many more.

Credits as a performer include: Beyond The Sea (director — Kevin Spacey) and Vanity Fair (director — Mira Nair). National Theatre and West End credits include: Guys and Dolls, Chess, Carrie (also on Broadway), Anything Goes, Hunting of the Snark and Mack & Mabel.

Suzanne is currently UK Associate / Resident Choreographer on Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Robert Emery

Musical Director

Robert D.C. Emery is a multi-skilled musician, equally at home playing or conducting classical through to rock. He started playing the piano at the age of seven, studied at the Royal College of Music and is a teaching descendant of Liszt, Beethoven and Mozart. He now performs around the world, conducting such orchestras as the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Japanese Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony, Singapore Lyric, Australian Metropolitan, and The London Chorus.

As an arranger, orchestrator or conductor, Emery has worked heavily in Europe, including the world premiers of Der Besuch Der Alten Dame, Dällebach Kari — das Musical and Gotthelf — das Musical.

As Musical Supervisor, Director or Associate, Robert has worked on Tanz der Vampire Jonathan Antoine’s Believe, the National Television Awards, the Royal Variety Performance, Great Festival of Creativity, Zorro — the Musical, the Broadway film A Tale of Two Cities, Songs of My Life and Betwixt!

Emery has recently finished writing a new musical based on the life story of Anna Göldi, which will be premiered in Switzerland in September 2017.

He has also just conducted the Ben-Hur ‘music to film’ concert with the Sinfonieorchester Basel and Radio-Symphonicorchester Wien with composer/performer Steward Copeland (the original founder and drummer of The Police).

He also runs The Arts Group Limited, the subsidiaries of which consist of the UK’s largest national music tuition service, Arts Academy; a live-event production house, Arts Festivals; his own personal orchestra and choir, Arts Symphonic/Arts Voices; a talent agency, Arts Associates; a lighting, sound and stage hire business, Arts Solutions.

For more information visit www.robertemery.com or www.arts-group.co.uk.

Simon Marlow

Production Manager

Simon Marlow became a production manager having previously worked as a stage manager for English National Opera and Scottish Opera.

For twenty years he was director and co-owner of Crosbie Marlow Associates. Simon now runs Marlow Production Management Ltd.

Previous productions include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King in London; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard (UK Tour); Jesus Christ Superstar (UK Tour); The Beautiful Game, and nine international productions of The Phantom of the Opera.

Other West End productions include Showboat, Notre-Dam de Paris, Napoleon, Lautrec, The Full Monty, Mamma Mia!, Contact, The Graduate, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Lady in the Van, The Caretaker, The Play What I Wrote, The Breath of Life, Closer to Heaven, Rebecca, ‘Art’, Beautiful and Damned, Death of a Salesman, Ducktastic, I am My Own Wife, Heroes, Daddy Cool, Dirty Dancing, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Brief Encounter, Equus, The God of Carnage, Deathtrap, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Sister Act, Backbeat, The Lady Killers, Ghost — the Musical, Viva Forever!, Stephen Ward and The Full Monty (play).

Simon has technically managed 19 international productions of Mamma Mia!. In Toronto he production-managed Backbeat, The Last Confession and Titanic — the Musical, and in London, The Railway Children and In The Heights (Kings Cross Theatre).

Recent projects include a European tour of Dirty Dancing and The Judas Kiss for Mirvish productions in Toronto and BAM in New York. Simon also technically managed the creation of the two new venues at The Kings Cross theatre, for The Donmar Shakespeare season and Lazarus.

www.marlowproductionmanagement.com

MPSI Ltd

UK General Management

Media Productions & Solutions International Limited (MPSI) led by Julian Stoneman and his associate, Mark Green, general manage the creative development and commercial presentation of live entertainment in the UK and internationally. With access to some of the most qualified professionals and freelance experts, currently working within all areas of the entertainment industry, the goal of MPSI is to work with investors, producers and suppliers to present world-class productions and events.

MPSI is currently in pre-production on such productions as the world premiere of Murder at the Gates for James Bourne (Busted) and Steven Slater (Spring Awakening); Pirates!, a new musical dance spectacular; and Gogglebox Live on Stage.

Julian and Mark’s combined years of working within theatre and live entertainment has seen them amass such credits as Exposure, Adam and Eve and Steve, Pig Farm, McQueen, Follies in Concert, Urinetown, Harvey, Let It Be, Tell Me on a Sunday, Rock of Ages, Jersey Boys, Finding Neverland, Great Expectations, Driving Miss Daisy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Billy Elliot, Kristina, Mamma Mia!, A Christmas Carol, Aspects of Love, The Caretaker, City of Angels, Grease, Lady in the Van, Miss Saigon, Saturday Night Fever and Three Tall Women. Julian and Mark are also proud to have co-produced, for 6 years, the Olivier Awards.

Julian is also a Board Member for Historic Royal Palaces.

www.mpsiltd.com

Jumpstart Entertainment

US General Manager

Roy Gabay for Jumpstart Entertainment has received five Tony Award nominations and is the recipient of the Tony Award for Best Revival of A View from the Bridge.

Most recent projects include Monsoon Wedding, Honeymoon in Vegas, Rock of Ages and Fela!

Producers

David Sonenberg

Producer

David Alan Sonenberg is an American music manager, and the founder of the music management company DAS Communications. Born and raised in New York, Sonenberg received a degree in Theater at Tufts University and Juris Doctorate at Harvard Law School.

Sonenberg joined the entertainment law firm of Weissberger & Frosch. There, he represented Broadway and Off-Broadway musical productions including Hair, Godspell and Cabaret. Sonenberg then established his own law firm and began DAS Communications Ltd., a full-service management company located in New York City. DAS’s first management project, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, set an industry record for a debut album with worldwide record sales to date of more than 50 million.

Clients of DAS Communications include Meat Loaf, Jim Steinman, Jimmy Cliff, Southside Johnny, Jimmy Iovine, The Spin Doctors, Joan Osborne, The Fugees, Lauryn Hill, The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, John Legend, Kesha, The Pretty Reckless, Prince Royce and Sean Paul. To date, artists represented by DAS Communications have written, produced, and performed recordings with sales totaling in excess of 300 million records worldwide.

DAS Ventures Ltd., another of the DAS family of companies, entered into agreements with Yoko Ono and the Estate of John Lennon in 1997, which culminated in the launch of The John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

1997 also saw the release of Sonenberg’s first film project, the acclaimed documentary When We Were Kings about boxer Muhammad Ali, for which Sonenberg received an Academy Award.

Michael Cohl

Producer

Michael Cohl’s carreer spans over 45 years as a Producer and Promotor for a broad range of entertainment properties, having worked with over 150 of the world’s most recognized artists including Barbra Steisand, Oprah Winfrey, David Gilmour, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, U2, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many more.

Cohl is the founder and chairman of Iconic Entertainment Studios and is currently developing, producing, and promoting over a dozen properties, including Jurassic World: The Exhibition currently running at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Transformers Live, opening in China in 2017, and The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, opening at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in May 2017.

Cohl was previously the chairman of Live Nation, was inducted into the Canadian Rock n Roll/Music Hall of Fame, and has received a star on Canada’s Hall of Fame. Among his many other awards, Cohl has also been honored with the Billboard Legend of Live Award, the TJ Martell Foundation Man of the Year Award, and a JUNO Award for Special Achievement.

Cohl has worked on several successful film and theatrical plays such as Pete Seeger: Power of Song (Emmy Award), LENNONYC (Peabody and Emmy Award), Big Easy Express (Grammy Award) and a film about Harry Belafonte, Sing Your Song (NAACP Image Award).

Randy Lennox

Producer

Randy Lennox is President of Content and Broadcasting for Bell Media, Canada’s most successful content creation company. Bell Media is Canada’s largest broadcaster, with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. He leads the company’s broadcast and cable channels, and oversees all original television productions in English Canada. Lennox is also responsible for Bell Media’s live theatre division and the company’s interest in iHeartRadio, including live music events.

Previously, Lennox was the President and CEO of Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company, where he helped elevate Canadian talent to the international stage, including Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Drake, Shawn Mendes, and The Weeknd, among others.

In 2017, Lennox will be honoured with a Juno Award, Canada’s most distinguished music recognition, representing his longstanding commitment to Canadian music.

Tony Smith

Producer

Tony entered the business as a rock concert promotor and building up a businessthat included tours by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who amongst many others, not least of which was the first live theatrical performances of the Monty Python touring show. In 1973 having become the largest concert promotor in the UK he sold his interests in the business toHarvey Goldsmith and started a management company and has been manager to Genesis, Phil Collins and Mike + The Mechanics for nearly 40 years and continues to do so. He also manages the interests of Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. In the past Tony has been closely involved with the management of Peter Gabriel, Julian Lennon, Peter Frampton and many others. He also managed the carreer of Stephen Elliot — director of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and was closely involved with him during the making of this movie and another Elliot movie Frauds. Tony started a music publishing company in 1975 — Hit & Run Music (Publishing) Limited and successfully built the publishing catalogue through the 80’s and 90’s. In 1999 Tony sold the company to EMI in a multi-million pound deal.

He is founder of Hit & Run Productions and together with his business partner Hilary Shor produced Eye of the Beholder directed by Stephan Elliott starring Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, which attained the number one box office in the US. During 2003 Tony and Hilary also produced Children of Men directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. Children of Men, on its release in 2006, was received with critical and commercial success and was nominated for three Oscars and three BAFTAs.

Recently Tony produced the musical Rock of Ages in London’s West End to great acclaim and success and is currently procucing the Bat Out of Hell musical as well as continuing his management activities for Genesis, Phil Collins, Mike + The Mechanics and Pink Floyd as well as managing his extensive business interests.

Credits

For the UK production of Bat Out of Hell The Musical (BOOH UK Ltd)

Producers: David Sonnenberg, Michael Cohl, Randy Lennox,Tony Smith

UK General Management: MSPI Ltd
US General Management: Jumpstart Entertainment
Production Manager: Simon Marlow
Music & Audio Consultant to Jim Steinman: Steven Rinkoff
Creative Consultant to Jim Steinman: William Barry Keating

Senior Production Carpenter: Micky Murray
Production Engineer: Andy Hardy
Vocal Coach: Fiona Grace McDougal
Vocal Coach: Annie Skates
Dialect Coach: Nick Trumble
Dialect Coach: Zabarjad Salem
Associate to Set Designer: Rebecca Bower
Assistant Production Manager: Andreas Ayling
Production Draughtsman: Tim Blazdale
Props Supervisor: Chris Marcus, Jonathan Hall for Marcus Hall Props
Props Assistant: Nathan Holiday
Costume Supervisor: Sharon Marlow
Costume Design Assistant: Verity Brown
Costume Assistant: Giusy Coviello
Wigs & Hair Suppervisor: Linda McKnight
Assistant Wigs & Hair Supervisor: Suzy Barrett
Make Up Supervisor: Marina Sandoval
Set Design Assistant: Tim Blazdell, Joanna Dias, Nina Patel Grainger, Rachel Stone
Music Preparation Manager: Richard Ihnatowicz
Video Production Techicians: Mike Higgs, Ethan Forde
Video & Projection System Engineer: Jonathan Lyle
Video Programmer: Emily Malone
Video Production Engineerin: James Craxtin, Sam Jeffs
Director of Animation: Adam Young
Associate Video Designer: Ash Woodward
Associate Lighting Designer: Rob Casey
Lighting Programmer: Chris Hirst
Productiuon LX: Richard Mence
Electricians: Adam Frost, Sam Floyd, Pete Lambert, Phil Giddings, Frazer Hall, Chris Mence
Associate Sound Design: Olly Steel
Assistant Sound Design: Micheal Ryles, Ramon Van Stee
Production Sound Engineer: Andy Green
Sound Engineers: Mike Ryles, Mike Thacker, Hennie Schwithall, John Reynolds, Daniel Headlam, Dom Bell, John Wildridge, Marek Tkacik
Keyboard Programmer: James Drew, James Meadwell
Associate Band Fixer: Nicholas Gillard for London Musicians Ltd
Production Carpenters: Mark Cosgrove, Nat Lunn
Carpenters: Edward Driscoll, Mickey Driscoll, Stephen McLachlan
Production Rigger: Ken Mehmed
Riggers: John Heywood, Rory Hanaway, Steward Mundy
Rigging Consultant: Emily Egleton for Unusual Rigging Company
Engineers: Micky Jeffs, Gerald Horne, Neon Ling
Automation Engineers: Simon Wait, Jimmy Duijvestijn
Flyman: Paul Cassidy
Followspot Operators: Sam Acquaah, Dean Fenton, Charlie Foster, Jade Price
Stage Crew: Mark Chevreau, John Wall, Dean Williams
Dressers: Jena BErg, Rosie Edmonds, Alison Faragher, Beth Kynaston, Sue Limbert, Gemma Rossi

Design, Advertising & Marketing: Dewynters | www.dewynters.com | 020 7321 0488
Theatre Press Representative: Amanda Malpass PR | www.amandamalpas.com | 020 3709 9720
Music Press Representative: Outside Organisation Ltd | www-outside-org.co.uk | 020 7436 3633
Production Photography: Specular
Rehearsal Filming: The Umbrella Room
Programme Design: John Good Limited

UK Legal: Clintons Solicitors, James Jones, Tanya Goldfarb
UK Production Accounting: Neil Laidlaw Productions, Neil Laidlaw, Jennifer Halsey, Britta Wicke
Insurance: Integeo — Robertson Taylor W&P Longreach, Bev Hewes
Health & Safety Consultant: Chris Luscombe for Production Safety Ltd

Thanks to our suppliers

Video equipment supplied by PRG UK Ltd
Lighting equipment supplied by PRG UK Ltd
Sound equipment supplied by Orbital Sound Ltd
Automation supplied by Silicon Theatre Scenery
Rigging supplied by Unusual Rigging Company
Flying equipment supplied by Flying by Foy Ltd
Make Up supplied by M.A.C. Kryolan
Musical Instruments supplied by GU66.eu for guitar fractals, Ludwig Drums

Thanks to our builders, makers and creators

Scenery built by TR2 Plymouth, Souvenirs Scenery, Setup Scenery Ltd, A H Engineering Ltd
Costumes made by Karen Crichton, Mark Costello, Madeline Fry, Nicola Herlihy, Andrea Moon, Rachel Pashley, Ingrid Pryer, Phil Reynolds, Will Skeet, Robert Sutherland
Costume Props by Robert Allsopp
Dying & Fabric Effects by Schultz & Wiremu, Nicola Killeen, John Cowell
Wigs made by Linda McKnight
Props made & supplied by Marcus Hall Props

For DAS Communications

Chairman: David Sonnenberg
General Manager: Andréa Timpone

For S2BN Entertainment

Chairman: Michael Cohl
President: Glenn Orsher
Chief Financial Officer: Anupam Palit
Chief Operating Officer: John Harper
Business & Legal Affairs: Marc Stoll
VP Finance: Stephen Rath
EA to Michael Cohl: Cat Peoples
Senior Accountant: Andrei Poletaev
Associate Producer: Liam Cohl
Associate Producer: Jonathan Uda
Associate Producer: Katherine Boener

For Bell Media

President, Broadcasting & Content: Randy Lennox
Vice-President, Communications: Scott Henderson
Executive Assistant to Randy Lennox: Erica Sked

For Hit & Run Productions

Chairman: Tony Smith
Executive Assistant to Tony Smith: Jo Greenwood

For MPSI Ltd

General Manager: Julian SToneman
Associate General Manager: Mark Green
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Maple
Finance Co-ordinator: Rosey Mercer
www.mpsiltd.com

For Jumpstart Entertainment

General Managers: Roy Gabay & Daniel Kuney
Assistants to General Managers: Brandon Powell & Kim Cincotta
www.letsjumpstart.com

Special Thanks to

British Actors Equity, Broadway Equity and the Musicians Union, Sarah Bleasdale & all at the Manchester Opera House, Care Whitfield, Debra Tidd, Martin Wilkinson, Rebecca Flack, Coutts & Co., Glasshill Studios, Alternative Venues London, Angel Recording Studios, Blueprint Studios, Dandelion and Burdock, Bob Knight Scenery, Steeldeck UK Ltd, Pirate Crew, Ava Katics, Evolve Manchester, Mandy Park, Chiroptere expert Kazuhiko Katuka, Malcolme Holt, Craig Barton & all at SACO, Ryan Thompson & all at Edwardian Hotels.

The poem The Rape of Fear is used with the kind permission of its author Patrick Ryan Frank.

Bat Out of Hell The Musical features some strong language, flash photography and imagery, smoke effects and strobe lighting effects. For more information visit

www.batoutofhellmusical.com

Facebook BatTheMusical
Twitter @BatTheMusical
Instagram BatTheMusical

In Conversation With Andrew Polec by Nick Smurthwaite

Andrew Polec was born in Philadelphia in 1989. His mother is a drama teacher, his father a TV reporter. As a boy, he was mad about contact sports. Following a cycling accident when he was 14, in which he sustained a serious head injury, Andrew was told he could not play contact sports for at least a year.

Andrew Polec as Strat. Photo by Specular.

I Didn't know what I was going to do with myself, he says, recalling the aftermath of the accident. So I looked around for things to use up my energy. I joined my school choir and started doing theatre and listening to music. Meat Loaf’s album Bat Out of Hell was a game-changer for me. I was astonished by the engery and stamina it took to perform songs like ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’. It inspired me to form hard rock bands in high shcool, and later in college.

After graduating from a master’s program at Brown University in 2015, Andrew moved to New York City and saw there was an open audition for a workshop of Bat Out of Hell, a stage musical version of the album.

I wasn’t even sure if it was a musical based on the album or if someone was just using that title for another project, but I just felt I had to go along. I took a large drum along to the audition — the casting director looked at me like I was a crazy person — but I went ahead and played the drum while I was singing. It was a risk but sometimes you have to take risks. I didn’t hear anything for two weeks; then my agent called and said I’d got a callback.

After four callbacks, they said they wanted me to play the lead in the workshop presentation. The audience consisted mostly of potential investors and co-producers. Afterwards the producers, David Sonenberg and Michael Cohl, asked if I’d like to come to the UK and do a full-scale production of the show.

Andrew says he is absolutely thrilled to be making his musical debut in Manchester. I love the accent and the people are so nice. From what I have seen so far the people here have a real connection with Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman’s music. What I love about this show is it’s a perfect combination of theatre and rock ‘n’ roll which are my two passions.

Jim Steinman came up with the concept for a Bat Out of Hell musical in the early 1970s so it’s been a long time coming to fruition. As a performer, you have to be 100% committed to Jim’s songs, heart and soul; otherwise it can appear as if you’re sending them up.

As you can see from the picture, Andrew looks nothing whatever like Meat Loaf — and there is no attempt to impersonate him in the show. When I went on a press promotion tour for the show with Meat Loaf in November last year, everyone wanted to know if I was going to sound like Meat Loaf. Instead of sounding like him, I want to create the same energy, commitment and focus as Meat Loaf.

What he said to me was When you are fully able to make the songs your own, and connect with them, then you can give them to the audience, and they can make it their own. He has been incredibly supportive. He is clearly happy to pass on the torch to me and to all the performers in the show.

Although Andrew is too young to have seen Meat Loaf perform in his heyday, he has watched a lot of YouTube clips of the legend in preparation for the show. He has also adhered to a strict excercise regime, involving jogging, swimming and lifting weights. The choreography is intense and amazing so the whole cast is very focused on our physicality. Like Meat Loaf, I have excercise-induced asthma, so I have to pace myself and make sure that, should the need arise, I have my inhaler ready to go.

Meat Loaf himself hasn’t been directly involved in rehearsals, but composer and playwright Jim Steinman has been keeping a close eye on its progress. Jim skypes us on a regular basis, and watches recordings of the rehearsals; then most evenings he has insightful discussions with the director, where they share detailed notes on the day’s footage. Tackling the range of Jim’s songs is incredibly demanding, like doing a Wagnerian opera, requiring Olympic stamina and an agile vocal range.

How does Andrew see his future as a performer? I live for the moment. Presently, I am termendously forcused on this incredible artistic opportunity. It is a gift of a lifetime to sing this music and work with this creative team. I hope to always have music in my life. As far as my future goes, I would love to participate in productions with the same kind of joy and love that this musical shares.

Visit www.andrewpolec.com for more information.

© John Good

Musical Numbers In alphabetical order