Batman Live

Synopsis

Faithfully adapted from the DC Comics characters and stories, Batman Live focuses on Robin s quest for justice, which leads him to follow in the footsteps of his hero, the mysterious vigilante known as the Batman - much to the dismay of his protective guardian, millionaire Bruce Wayne - who secretly happens to be Batman. This dynamic triangle resolves itself in a non-stop thrill-ride across Gotham City that transforms Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson into the legendary crime-fighters Batman and Robin and transports the audience from the Big Top of Haly's Circus to the lower depths of Arkham Asylum - from the glittering peaks of the Penguin s Iceberg Lounge to the subterranean wonders that await inside the Batcave, which features a revolutionary, all-new Batmobile designed exclusively for Batman Live. A dazzling celebration of storytelling and stagecraft, Batman Live is at its heart an affecting coming of age story. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson - both orphaned at an early age - must first learn to overcome their own fears and forge their own family - along with Police Commissioner James Gordon and Bruce s trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth - if they re going to survive the combined forces of Batman s larger-than-life rogues gallery: The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Batman Live, a unique and innovative theatrical experience, is an arena spectacular that combines acrobatics, daredevil stunt work, illusions, and cutting-edge design to bring the adventures of Batman and Robin to life on stage for the first time in the characters history.

Our Review:

25 August 2011

Whenever I go to the O2 Arena I reignite a tingling sense of anticipation for the promise of a spectacle like no other. Each time, I leave disappointed at the failure of the shows to live up to their own hype, and reminded that most of the things I care about at the theatre have very little to do with spectacle.

While both lessons were again learned at Batman Live, this was certainly the most impressive attempt I’ve seen of its kind.

Picking up the Batman saga from the arrival of Dick Grayson (aka Robin), a young trapeze artist whose parents are killed by a local thug, the show uses the circus backdrop to incorporate acrobatics, magic and dance. There’s also a catalogue of vehicles from a hot air balloon to a full-size batmobile, not to mention countless explosions and a huge moving video screen in the shape of the iconic batwing logo.

The problem is that it’s impressive in terms of scale, ...

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Latest User Review

Steve - 4 September 2011:

My 10 year old nephew thought it was good, but not great like Doctor Who, and I concur. Too tame to be thrilling (the action consists of kapow type punches without the kapow sound effect, coupled with some swinging around on wires), and too simplistic to be dramatic (Batman and Robin must face a slew of baddies led by the Joker), this show is not a patch on the brilliant show Stephen Moffat created for Doctor Who at Wembley Arena. The main coup at that show was interactivity, where the villains rounded up the audience, and the Doctor was held prisoner, directly addressing the audience for help. No such attempt is made at interactivity here and the show suffers for it. That said, I thought the Joker was a fitting baddie, with a sardonic pantomime rasp, and some funny lines, and the visuals were quite splendid. ...

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