MARTHA Kirby and Glenn Adamson, stars of Bat Out of Hell – The Musical, say the show is the perfect tribute to music legends Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman.

Meat and Jim were responsible for hits like I’d Do Anything For Love, Dead Ringer For Love, and Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as Bat Out of Hell, of course.

Meat died earlier this year, less than a year after his songwriting partner Steinman.

Martha, who plays Raven in the musical, says: “The show has always paid tribute to both Meat and Jim’s incredible work. It truly stands the test of time. It is now our place to continue sharing their legacy and greatness.”

Glenn, who portrays Strat, adds: “Meat and Steinman’s amazing friendship and musical collaboration is memorialised by this musical. It was always Jim’s dream for his theatrical music to be in a musical.

“We feel an incredible pressure to do his legacy and music justice in our performances night after night.

“Meat was a true inspiration of mine and I always hoped that when he was well enough to perform again that he would join us for a song or two. He was famous for never performing a song the same way twice. I hope we can carry that with us. He was my type of performer.”

Bat Out of Hell was written as a musical back in the 1970s by Steinman, based on JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, but it never came to fruition on stage until after the success of the multi million-selling album.

But you don’t have to know anything about the album to appreciate the show.

“It is just a great night out, high octane, high energy and like a party,” says Glenn. “Just what we need after all that we have been through lately. Yes, it’s nostalgia for people who grew up with the album, but it is also a really great story that resonates with younger audiences.”

Martha agrees: “The music was what initially drew me to the show. I’d never heard it, but I listened to it before I auditioned and just loved it. Singing and being engulfed by such incredible music every night is something I will never take for granted.”

While the storyline has its roots in JM Barrie’s Edwardian classic, there is a rather startling prescience in this big, bold and gripping reimagining.

“A group of teens have been frozen at the age of 18 and can’t age past that point,” explains Glenn. “But Raven manages to evade the virus and to age. She meets Strat, one of ‘The Lost’, and we follow their love story.”

Martha continues: “The fact that Raven can’t age because of a strange virus is almost too scary really. She’s confined to her room and her family are shielding her.”

“Great music is timeless and ageless,” says Glenn. “Queen, Bon Jovi, Tina Turner, this album is in the same bracket as those by these classic artists. New audiences are coming to older music all the time.

“And nobody wrote rock anthems that are essentially musical theatre numbers like Jim. I think this was his finest work and I’m just so glad that he got to make this show before he died.”

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical is at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from Tuesday 25 October until Saturday 5 November.