It was a long time in the making for one of music's biggest selling albums in history to transcend on to the stage – but boy has it been worth the wait.

When Bat Out of Hell was released in 1977, songwriter Jim Steinman had already started penning ideas for a Peter Pan inspired rock and roll musical.

Several drafts and scripts were produced before the show finally was announced in 2008. It took another nine years to hit the stage though.

The production is on at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre until Saturday – with a seven show run including matinees on Thursday and Saturday.

We're taken on a trip to the futuristic dystopian world of Obsidian, to meet the forever young Strat, leader of his rebellious gang The Lost, who falls in love with Raven, daughter of the dictatorial ruler Falco.

Admittedly, I have seen this show before when it was in London's West End in 2017 following its premiere in Manchester earlier that year.

Leaving the theatre that day, it was the best thing I'd seen on stage and couldn't wait to see it again. Almost five years later nothing has changed.

Kicking off the show is a big number – I won't give away what – and the first sign of things to come from this powerhouse of a production.

You're instantly blown by the energy and excitement of each performer, dance routines, pyrotechnics, lights and the sound.

This show is loud and I mean properly loud.

But then look around the stage and it's an incredibly clever production and fantastically designed set – incorporating live video to a screen – offering different angles and effects for moods and characters.

So much so that while one person might be watching one part of the stage, someone else in the audience could be looking at another reaction, a look, a glance, a gesture.

In every good way, the production is a total assault on the senses.

It's loud, bright, in your face, brash and totally Meat Loaf.

The cast bring an incredible energy and performance to every number and with the live band it feels as much like a rock concert as it does the theatre.

From rocking anthems, to ballards and duets, the voices of Glenn Adamson (Strat) and Martha Kirby (Raven) will leave you stunned.

Exceptional chemistry is on show from Rob Fowler (Falco) and his on-stage wife Sharon Sexton (Sloane) – who have been part of the UK cast since 2017 – who share an up-and-down relationship, fun and sadness and some incredible musical performances together.

They are brilliantly supported by a strong cast of characters, voices and dancers putting a smile on your face and a beat in your seat.

Shakespeare or Alan Bennett it is not, so if you're expecting a complex plot and storyline you will be disappointed.

But let's face it, that's not why we're going to see Bat Out Of Hell, is it?

We want unbridled fun, entertainment and rock and roll.

And you get that in abundance from a show which will leave you wanting to come back – something many people do.

The gentleman sitting next to me told me his visit to Canterbury was show number 43 (that is no typo) after taking in New York, Edinburgh and Oberhausen in Germany already and with no end in sight to keep touring as it continues around the UK.

And I thought the woman I overheard in the interval saying to her friend: "It's brilliant isn't it. This is my 22nd" was committed.

But that is also part of the brilliance of this show, it will bring you back and make you a fan even if you've never heard the music before.

That is why this will always be the ultimate tribute to two absolute legends – Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. The beat is yours forever.

Limited tickets remaining available via the Marlowe Theatre box office priced £15-£71.

The show runs until Saturday, February 26 starting at 7.30pm. Thursday 2.30pm matinee only and Saturday additional matinee plus evening show.