Review: A singalong Bat out of Hell, Dominion

Baby baby BABY! For better or worse, Bat out of Hell introduces the singalong musical into the West End 

“You got the kind of lips that do more than drink
You got the kind of mind that does less than think”

Although it might feel like every night is singalong night at some musicals (cough Motown cough), Bat out of Hell have gone the extra step and made one night a month an actual sing-along performance. So if you get down to the Dominion Theatre on these selected dates, then you can live your dream of singing in a West End theatre, just, you know, not on the actual stage…!

If you’re pondering whether this is a good idea, I’ve answered a few questions below.

“I know you’re lookin’ for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain’t no Coupe de Ville hidin’ at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box”

1. What if I don’t know all the words?

Never fear – there are screens dotted around the theatre, and above the stage, which show the lyrics. And it’s not every song we’re invited to sing along to, which I was particularly gutted for for “What Part of My Body Hurts the Most”. Seeing the lyrics like this has the additional amusing bonus of showing how batshit crazy some of them are…!

“She used her body just like a bandage
She used my body just like a wound”

2. What if only my mother has ever told me I’m a good singer?

Not to worry. The volume for the show has always been turned way up and it might possibly have gone up even further here, so you’re never in any danger of drowning out the likes of Andrew Polec, Christina Bennington, or the ever-amazing Danielle Steers. Sing out Louise!

“With all that we can take and pocket
No one needs to know
We’re the plug and they’re the socket
Give us the juice and we’ll go”

3. What if the people around me aren’t singing along?

Now this is the biggest potential pitfall of doing this kind of singalong performance. In the seats around me, there were three groups to the left who were living their life singing along, but there were also three couples to the right who were tutting and glaring and generally hating the audience participation. And if you didn’t know that this was a singalong performance, I can imagine being absolutely gutted – especially with West End prices – and ultimately there’s nothing you can do about it. The ideal scenario would be putting all the people who are up for it in the same seating area but that’s just impractical. 

“Oh I know you belong inside my aching heart
And can’t you see my faded Levis bursting apart”

I can’t deny that we had a whale of a time at this show, and I also can’t deny that a certain amount of Pinot Grigio helped us to enjoy it. The crowd took their time to warm up, indeed it was only really after the interval that we collectively abandoned our British reserve and interpreted “Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” to the best of our ability. And to be honest, most of the best songs are in the second half so I definitely recommend investing in an interval drink and just cutting loose.

It’s a different way to experience a West End musical and I’m not too sure that many others would suit the singalong treatment in a similar manner, so why not give your vocal cords a treat…!

Photo Credit – Specular

There are more Bat Out of Hell sing-along performances which are taking place on 25th September, 31st October, 27th November and 31st December and the show is currently booking until 5th January.

 

 

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