The ultimate rock experience roars back Milton Keynes Theatre from Monday, when Bat Out Of Hell takes you on an electrifying journey, with the iconic music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf at the fore.
A more rock n roll night out you'll not have!
Ryan Carter stars as Jagwire in the production. He spoke all things theatre with Total MK...
Tell us about your first memory of the theatre
A university production of Little Shop of Horrors. I was about 9 or 10? My dad was part of the tech team, so I had to stick around while they packed down — which I’m sure, for a lot of kids, would have killed the magic — but for me, it ignited my love for the machine of it all. It takes a team to create good theatre, and I knew I was determined to be part of that team in some way or another. I think the idea that I could be a performer came later.
And the moment when you realised the theatre was your calling
What a deep question. I mean hey, I don’t know if it’s my calling… I don’t know if anyone’s calling should be a commercialised form of artistic expression. BUT it is the only world that’s felt like a viable place for me to exist with all my idiosyncrasies and quirks, I guess? I feel like everything I have to offer can be utilised in this field, which is a good feeling. It’s good to find a place where you can be whole all the time.
I had some health stuff going on when I was having to make those first "where is your life going?” decisions, and my love for live art was the only thing that remained constant during that time. It was a non-negotiable — even though I was bed-bound for 60% of my week, I was making it to my dance class on a Monday night, and I was rocking up to my Saturday school on the weekends.
Any dreadful calamities, or funny happenings on stage that you would care to share with us?
I am pretty horrific at stifling laughter. So whenever something funny happens on stage, it’s actually my response to it that becomes the bigger issue! Trying to sing dramatic solos while making eye contact with someone who’s missed an entrance or forgotten some of their costume is the true test of professionalism. A test I don’t pass often enough, if I’m gonna be brutally honest.
I’m not gonna throw my cast mates under the bus, but I will say — they do not help AT ALL. They’re hilarious people that I know intimately, and I read all the smirks and micro-facials at all times. I love them dearly.
Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?
I’m appropriately obsessed with Colman Domingo at the moment. I look at his portfolio of work and every project is so different, but so clearly the right one for him? Also, anyone who is able to consistently bounce between the theatre world and other artistic disciplines is someone I’d wanna get a coffee with.
Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?
Other than vigorous warm-ups and working out where I’m placing stuff that day — no! I like to have at least an hour to myself in the building before it starts whirring to life, but what I do in that hour kinda varies. It’s usually something deliberately calming or grounding. The show is a lot, and I have to try not to get swept up in it sometimes.
The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business
When I graduated, I distinctly remember a guest tutor giving us a talk and referring to this career path as a marathon, not a sprint — which is completely accurate if you’re after longevity as a performer.
What do you think has been your steepest learning curve?
My performance anxiety is quite bad… so the thing I’m trying to grapple with on this particular job is letting go of the aspects of my performance that I’m not thrilled with. Working through the severe discomfort that is being on stage with only 50% of what you need to pull it off, staying out of my own head and that.
It feels steep because I’m very much at the bottom of that learning curve (for now, at least).
How do you fill your spare time while on tour?
I’m reading a lot, which is nice to have the time to do. I’m also the kind of person who likes to explore what the town has to offer, so I’ve really enjoyed getting to see parts of the country I’ve never been to before.
Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?
Act 1: Excitement. Act 2: Nerves.
Why should people take a ticket for Bat Out of Hell in Milton Keynes if they haven't already? Sell the show!
I’m extremely biased, but it is one of the best-sounding shows out there at the moment.
Doing Jim Steinman’s music justice is at the absolute heart of this version of Bat Out of Hell, and anyone that’s a fan of music as a whole is going to appreciate that.
We’re in an era where a lot of musicals are stripped back and minimal (which I do think is cool), but sometimes you want production value and spectacle — and that’s what Bat Out of Hell was built on.
The cast are doing the absolute most, at all times. There is always something to look at — we throw absolutely everything we have at you for two hours, eight times a week — and the energy in every theatre we play is electric.
Bat Out Of Hell opens at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday, with performance continuing until June 28.
Book your seat: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/bat-out-of-hell/milton-keynes-theatre/
Image: (left - Right) Luke Street, Carly Burns, Ryan Carter & Glenn Adamson
Credit Chris Davis Studio
