BAT BOY - New York City Center (08/11/25)

Encores revival is gloriously gruesome

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Before giving us the musical theatre juggernauts that are "Legally Blonde" and "Heathers", composer Laurence O'Keefe emerged with a bang onto the scene in the 90s with his surrealist piece that tells of a half bat, half human hybrid child found in a cave in Hope Falls, West Virginia. Based on a fictional 1992 story from the satirical tabloid paper Weekly World News, known for its largely made up media based on the supernatural and paranormal, "Bat Boy" follows the titular figure, later named Edgar by his "adoptive" family, as he attempts to integrate into society, amid mass ostracisation and a collective inability of the townspeople to look past his unconventional visage.

It's for this reason, in a world where there exists so much division and fear, that a story like Bat Boy feels so relevant, and important to tell at this moment, as it very much advocates for not judging a book by its cover, with those whom do so, this time in the guise of the perceptively small-minded citizens of Hope Falls, being viewed as the villains; this story is as satirical as it is surreal, with a healthy helping of the unhinged, think of it as Frankenstein meets Nosferatu meets My Fair Lady.

Taylor Trensch, Kerry Butler and Christopher Sieber (credit: Joan Marcus)

The first section of the musical, centred around the nice, good christian family (the Parkers) having taken the eponymous bat-like entity into heir home, initially keeping him in a cage, but eventually manage to teach him speech, etiquette and self-expression, adopting a hilariously exaggerated English accent through his proclivity for British media via the BBC. Lead performer Taylor Trensch masterfully portrays this dramatic shift in character, from the feral beast with whom we initially come into contact, to which at times he delivers terrifying ferocity, to the snappy dressing, eloquently spoken young man reminiscent of a younger, yet balder and battier Hugh Grant.

This is another company which I could gush over for paragraphs on end, from the warmth and emotional depth of Kerry Butler's performance as Meredith, as well as her typically clear, ringing vocals, to Andrew Durand's marvellous, amusingly exaggerated take on rambunctious teen antagonist Rick, a character more than 20 years his junior; and although they featured in but a single act 2 scene, Alex Newell absolutely filled that stage with their enormous presence and powerhouse vocals, proving there truly are no small roles in a great production.

The company of "Bat Boy" at NYCC (credit: Joan Marcus)

But even ignoring the stellar presentation of these roles by this top tier array of broadway talent, everything about this bonkers production just hit on all cylinders, David Korins has treated us to a sprawling scaffold of set accentuated by creepy looking green backdrop, this all combining magnificently with Justin Townshend's vibrant, characterful lighting design. O'Keefe's quirky rock inspired score drives the story with great energy and vivacity; in addition to some full bodied ensemble numbers, with the opening song ("Hold me, bat boy") in particular perfectly setting us up for the 120 minutes or so of delicious chaos that follow, providing just the right balance of narrative exposition and tone establishment.

And in the same vein (pun intended) of similarly grisly, dark natured shows like "Little Shop of horrors" or "Teeth", Bat Boy does not shy away from really pushing its berserk, unhinged nature, especially when wrapping up proceedings, with murder, suicide, cannibalism and unintentional incest all making appearances. Hard rocking, consistently tonally maniacal, and always fully gripping, Bat Boy is utterly batshit in the best way possible.

★★★★★ (5*)

"Bat Boy" ran at New York City Center from the 29th of October until the 9th of November (more info)

{PR/Gifted tickets}