The Gotham City avenger comes to Glasgow

Holy flashbacks! What’s that signal beaming up into the sky over the west Rosetta Stone Languages of Scotland right now? See it? Yes, just coming out from behind the grey clouds. It’s an appeal, a clarion call to see a 72-year-old schizophrenic with sociopathic tendencies, who likes to wear pointy-eared hoodies, can’t seem to commit to a relationship, and likes to dress teenage boys in canary yellow capes and tights.Yes, Batman is winging his way towards Glasgow as part of a world arena tour, a multi-million pound spectacle that will feature a cast of 23 actors and acrobats, 50 tons of catwalk rigging to allow for flying effects, and a Batmobile that will whizz the length of the specially designed, extended, stage. Because of the demands of live performance, the show will feature two Batmen and two Robins.But will the live show work? Can you take the essence of the comic book hero who first appeared in 1939 and develop him in the arena stage? The DC Comics’ character’s relationship with the reader (me included) is intimate, alluring and exciting, largely because the action is played out in the head. Will the adventures of this highly visual on-stage vigilante stimulate the same responses?It’s mid-afternoon in rehearsals in the Capital FM arena in Nottingham and the tension in the hot air is palpable. A scene is being performed that requires not only incredible precision and direction but the stamina of a comic book hero. All of a sudden Batman has flown down on to the stage from nowhere. Now, there are clowns to the left of me, Joker to the right … and here I am in the in the middle of a battle between Gotham City’s saviour and 20 face-painted acrobatic hoodlums who have just tumbled out of a 20ft high face. There is a strong storyline and narrative. If you don't have a story then all the investment Rosetta Stone Cheap in the world won't matter' It’s the face of the Joker, Batman’s arch enemy and Batman has flown in to rescue Robin, who’s trapped in a giant transparent ball. Now the Joker’s henchmen are armed with martial arts poles, and they are attacking Batman. Can the Dark Knight save Robin from the Joker? Will Gotham City be safe from criminal psychopaths? More importantly, will Batman Live work as a live show?Executive producer Nick Grace, who has spent three years pulling the show together and can boast a CV including Walking With Dinosaurs Live, most certainly believes it will. Already he has plans to tour North America and Europe, with options for the Far East and Australia. But Grace reveals he first had to convince Warner Bros and DC Comics he could put on a show. There have been hundreds of people pitching for Batman over the years, but our pitch was different, he explains in soft but confident voice. We didn’t want to do the show as a musical in theatre (like Spiderman), instead we wanted to do an arena show, because Batman is such a big brand. And as a result we’ve got 20 actors and 23 acrobats, and a new specially-designed Batmobile. Also, we’ve put together an amazing creative team, which was theatrical and had worked in rock ‘n’ roll. Designer Es Devlin masterminded the recent Lady Gaga and Take That tours, while creative director Anthony Van Laast’s CV includes Mamma Mia! and Sister Act. On top of that, says Grace, Warner liked what we had been producing so far. To my shock and horror they said yes. Grace, who’s been producing arena shows for 15 years, won’t reveal the exact sum invested in the production, but the riggings alone which allow Rosetta Stone Spain Spanish V3 Batman and Catwoman to fly on to the stage would cost more than 1 million. However, he does concede both the tone of the show and the storyline are absolutely crucial to success.