Halloween in Concert – A Monster of a Night at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal!
There was something wonderfully wicked happening at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal as Halloween in Concert rolled into town, bringing with it a gloriously entertaining collection of spooky songs, rock anthems and musical theatre favourites. And what a frightfully good excuse for a night out!
Halloween might traditionally be about ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night, but this was a celebration of the music that has provided the soundtrack to generations of supernatural silliness. From outrageous rock classics to camp musical theatre extravagance, the evening offered a reminder that Halloween is just as much about having fun as it is about being frightened.
And what a wonderfully eclectic selection of songs to choose from!
Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell is practically a theatrical production in its own right. Enormous, dramatic and gloriously over the top, it’s the sort of song that was made for a venue like the Theatre Royal. Jim Steinman’s wonderfully excessive songwriting has always existed somewhere between rock concert and musical theatre, making it a particularly inspired addition to a Halloween celebration.
Then there’s Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf, a song that might not immediately spring to mind when putting together a Halloween playlist, but whose inclusion makes perfect sense. It’s infectious, instantly recognisable and adds a welcome dose of eighties pop to proceedings. After all, who says Halloween has to be all cobwebs and creaking doors?
Of course, no self-respecting Halloween celebration would be complete without Monster Mash. Bobby Pickett’s wonderfully ridiculous novelty hit has somehow survived more than six decades without losing its charm. It’s impossible to take seriously, and that’s precisely the point. Some songs exist simply to make people smile, and this is surely one of the finest examples.
But if we’re talking about Halloween entertainment, it would be positively criminal to overlook The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The inclusion of Sweet Transvestite and Time Warp brought a delicious helping of camp theatricality to the evening. Few musicals have embraced the strange, the outrageous and the wonderfully unconventional quite so enthusiastically as Richard O’Brien’s cult masterpiece.
Sweet Transvestite is a song dripping with theatrical attitude, while Time Warp has become something of a cultural institution. It’s one of those rare numbers that seems to transcend generations, equally at home at a Halloween party, a theatrical performance or a slightly chaotic wedding reception. There’s something rather wonderful about music that encourages everyone to abandon their inhibitions and embrace the ridiculous.
What makes a concert like this such an appealing proposition is the sheer variety of musical styles it can bring together. Where else could Meat Loaf, Duran Duran, Bobby Pickett and Richard O’Brien find themselves sharing the same musical bill without anyone batting an eyelid?
It’s a wonderfully eccentric combination, but Halloween is the perfect excuse to throw the musical rulebook out of the window.
The Theatre Royal itself is a fitting home for this sort of entertainment. There’s something about the grandeur of a traditional theatre that makes the contrast with Halloween’s playful absurdity particularly enjoyable. It’s a venue that lends even the most outrageous material a certain sense of occasion.
Ultimately, the appeal of Halloween in Concert lies in its willingness to celebrate music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. These are songs packed with character, personality and more than a little theatrical excess. They invite us to sing along, embrace our sillier sides and enjoy the sort of unashamed entertainment that live performance does so well.
And in a world where so much entertainment seems determined to be terribly serious, there’s something refreshing about an evening devoted to musical mischief.
A gloriously ghoulish mixture of rock, pop, nostalgia and camp theatrical fun, Halloween in Concert was a reminder that sometimes the best nights at the theatre are the ones where you can simply enjoy being a little ridiculous.
After all, it’s just a jump to the left…
