Review: BAT BOY THE MUSICAL, London Palladium
Cult classic Bat Boy The Musical made its return to the London theatre scene for a star-studded concert at The London Palladium for 2023’s halloween night.
The show featured performances from Jordan Luke Gage (Bonnie and Clyde, Heathers) in the title role of Edgar, alongside two-time Olivier Award nominee Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Cinderella, In The Heights) playing the veterinarian’s wife, Meredith. Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Next To Normal) plays Dr. Parker and Jodie Steele (Bonnie and Clyde, Heathers) is the teenage daughter Shelley.
With a book and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe (Heathers, Legally Blonde), the rock/horror musical tells the story of Edgar (Gage) who is a half boy/half bat creature. After being discovered in a cave in a small American town, Edgar is brought to the home of the local veterinarian Dr. Parker (Nicholas) where he is accepted as one of the family by Dr. Parker, Meredith (Hamilton-Barritt) and Shelley (Steele). However as Edgar’s origins begin to come to light, the town, and everyone he loves begin to turn against him.
Gage does not disappoint in his performance as Edgar. He seemed both comfortable and confident in his portrayal of the leading boy. His voice definitely has the power to fill the Palladium and is greatly enjoyed when he sings some of the top ballads. Victoria Hamilton-Barritt’s performance is nothing short of exceptional. She completely owns her portrayal of Meredith. Victoria perfectly lands the most subtle ways of showing heartwarming affection and belly aching comedy moments. To do all of this in a house the size of the Palladium can only be described as inspired.
Trevor Dion Nicholas gives a performance as Dr. Parker that is definitely enjoyed by all. He finds a beautiful arc in transitioning from a character that seems quite uptight and stubborn into a chaotic and erratic member of the town. His incredibly strong vocal talent also leans well to the dominance of the character. Steele’s performance as Shelley is also utterly brilliant. She perfectly captures the moody teenager yet somehow manages to make the role both refreshing and light. Her comic timing is beautifully executed and she is a welcome sight whenever she comes on stage.
Another notable mention is the performance of Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Reverend Billie Hightower. His portrayal is brilliantly executed and has the audience in complete stitches. After his performance, we left the theatre wanting to see more more more!
The music of the show is strong. It has some catchy moments and definitely sets the tone for a dark musical. It is because of this, however, that it does take us a short while to understand the irony and satirical side of the piece.
Bat Boy is clearly a camp rock comedy, but I we do feel that it sets itself up as something much darker and this could throw off first time watchers which may cause us to not get the joke. We would, however, like to see this show make a return. It is fun, energetic and a camp night out. We can see why this musical has such a cult following.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Josiah Eloi