From the composer of Legally Blonde the musical (Laurence O’Keefe), comes a love story that gives a little bite to the summer season. City centre based theatre company What We Did Next is bringing their latest production to Unity Theatre, the comedy-horror Batboy: the Musical from Wednesday 5th till Saturday 8th June.
The story concerns a supernatural creature, half bat/half boy, who is discovered in a cave in the American south and brought to the home of local veterinarian Dr. Parker. The Parker family takes him in and teaches him to behave as a normal human, attempting to integrate him into a narrow-minded town. As he tries to fit in, romantic sparks fly and he decides to run away with the veterinarian’s daughter, Shelley. However happiness is shattered as the town hears the shocking story of Bat Boy’s unholy origin.
The show deals with themes such as acceptance, xenophobia, hypocrisy, revenge, forgiveness, but most importantly that we all have a darker side that drives our more animalistic urges. Should we fear these basic human instincts or embrace the “beast within” to get by in the world?
First performed on Halloween in 1997, Batboy: The Musical has had success both in the United States and in London’s West End. The character of Bat Boy was created by former Weekly World News Editor Dick Kulpa, and debuted as a cover story on June 23, 1992. The original front-page photo of Bat Boy, showing his grotesque screaming face, was the second-best selling issue in the tabloid’s history, and he has since evolved into a pop-culture icon. This creature inspired writers Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming to write a stage adaptation, and they were joined by American composer/lyricist Laurence O’Keefe.
What We Did Next is a community based theatre company, defining themselves as ‘Professional Amateurs’. Members include doctors, nurses, photographers, office workers, actors, musicians and more, who succeed in putting on professional-standard theatre that otherwise would may be produced in Liverpool.
Tickets for Batboy: The Musical are available to purchase from The Unity Theatre’s Box office on Hope Street, by telephone on 98448732888 or online at www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk. Tickets are priced at £12 with concessions available at £10.