Large-scale UK arena tour Batman Live will launch their world premiere at Manchester's MEN Arena on 19 July 2011, which brings the Caped Crusader to the stage for the first time. The plot, written by Allan Heinberg and based on an original story by comic book legends Stan Berkowitz and Alan Burnett, will focus on the life of Batman's sidekick Robin, a circus performer called Dick Grayson who loses his parents to organized crime.
《蝙蝠俠現場》這齣大型巡演舞台劇將在2011年7月19日在曼徹斯特晚報劇場舉辦世界首演，這將是蝙蝠俠首次搬上舞台。故事劇情由海恩伯格執筆，主要以漫畫傳奇人物波科維奇和伯內特的原創故事為經緯，重點放在蝙蝠俠助手羅賓的生平事蹟，羅賓原名迪克．格雷森，是個馬戲團表演者，在一次幫派犯罪中痛失父母。
Adapted from the DC Comics, Batman Live faithfully tells the comic books' stories of Robin's search for justice. The quest leads him to follow in the footsteps of his hero, the mysterious vigilante known as the Batman – much to the dismay of his protective guardian, millionaire Bruce Wayne – who secretly happens to be Dark Knight himself.
《蝙蝠俠現場》改編自DC Comics出版的偵探漫畫，書中忠實講述羅賓尋求正義的故事。追尋過程帶領他追隨他心目中的英雄，也就是行俠仗義、人稱「蝙蝠俠」這號神祕人物的足跡，這卻使他的監護人、百萬富翁布魯斯韋恩感到沮喪驚愕，他本人私下正是「黑暗騎士」本尊。
Following it's Manchester launch the show will visit Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Liverpool, Nottingham and Dublin prior to touring North America in summer of 2012. Nick Grace, executive producer of the stage show said: “Batman Live will be a totally unique experience. This is not a musical but a high quality live show with a thrilling Batman story, filled with action, that will appeal to adults, teenagers and families. Batman is more than a comic book character, he's a cultural phenomenon and we are proud to have this opportunity to be involved with one of the most popular DC Super Heroes in the world today.”
曼城首演後，這齣戲將繼續到新堡、格拉斯哥、雪菲爾、伯明罕、倫敦、利物浦、諾丁漢和都柏林等地演出，然後在2012年夏轉往北美巡演。這齣舞台劇的監製葛雷斯說：「《蝙蝠俠現場》將是個完全獨特的體驗。這不是一齣音樂劇，而是以驚心動魄的蝙蝠俠故事為主軸的優質現場表演，充滿動作，這將吸引成年人和青少年，適合闔家觀賞。蝙蝠俠不只是漫畫人物，更是一種文化現象，我們很榮幸有機會演出當今世上最夯的偵探漫畫超級英雄。」
The live show will feature a number of familiar DC Comics characters including Police Commissioner James Gordon and Bruce's trusted butler Alfred Pennyworth facing off against villains including the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, the Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. The story will take place in several settings which will be familiar to comic book fans, including Gotham City, Wayne Manor, the Batcave and Arkham Asylum, all brought to life with “impressive stunts, pyrotechnics, illusions and video screen sequences.”
現場演出將有DC Comics中熟悉的漫畫人物，包括警官戈登和布魯斯韋恩最信任的管家「阿福」和包括小丑、企鵝、貓女、謎語人、雙面人、哈利女小丑和毒藤女等惡棍的對決。漫畫迷將很熟悉故事發生的一些場景，包括高譚市、韋恩莊園、蝙蝠洞和阿卡姆瘋人院，「其令人歎為觀止的特技，煙火，幻想和一系列銀幕畫面」無不栩栩如生。
Producers also revealed that the show will feature a brand new Batmobile designed by Brabham Formula One Team and McLaren Racing car designer Gordon Murray. Batman Live will have circus sequences created in association with Circus Space, the UK's National Centre for the Circus Arts, with aerialists Juliette Hardy-Donaldson and Bryan Donaldson acting as circus consultants.
製作人也透露，這齣戲將展示一輛全新的蝙蝠車，由一級方程式布拉罕車隊和麥拉倫賽車設計師穆雷設計。《蝙蝠俠現場》並將和英國國家雜技藝術中心「雜技空間」合作，創作一系列馬戲動作，並請空中飛人朱麗葉．哈迪─唐納森及布萊恩．唐納森雙人組擔任雜技顧問。
The director of “Batman Live,” Anthony Van Laast, said of the show, “What it is really is rock and roll. Almost all of us come from a rock and roll background, we know we can fill an arena, we can do the whiz-bangs and the special effects – all we needed was a really good yarn as the backbone of the show, and we've got that. It's not a musical.”
舞台劇《蝙蝠俠現場》導演馮拉斯特說：「這齣戲的真髓，說穿了，就是搖滾。我們幾乎全都有搖滾樂背景，我們知道我們可以使舞台充滿張力，我們可以搞爆破和特效，我們所需要的是很棒的故事做為這齣戲的骨幹，這部分我們已經有了。而且這不是一部音樂劇。」
The director also point out that Batman was born in issue 27 of Detective Comics in 1939 with original illustrations by Bob Kane, but the look of the show will be based on the more recent moody, grey style of illustrator Jim Lee – the definitive Batman, in the team's view, and also usefully now co-publisher of DC Comics whose cooperation was essential.
導演並指出，蝙蝠俠誕生於1939年《偵探漫畫》27期，原創插畫由凱恩執筆，但舞台劇場景是以（韓裔美籍）漫畫家李吉姆較晚近感傷灰暗的風格為本，在劇組人員看來也是最權威的蝙蝠俠，同時也實用的多，因為他現在也是DC Comics共同發行人，和他合作攸關重要。
The crew, and all involved in “Batman Live,” insisted there will be no songs like the other big comic book stage production, “Spiderman,” but patrons can expect bats, special effects and flying. Another big difference between “Spiderman” and “Batman Live” is cost. The web-spinning comic book show made headlines with its expensive price tag of $65 million to produce the Broadway spectacular. The caped crusader show is reportedly being estimated at $19.5 million.
所有《蝙蝠俠現場》劇組人員堅稱，將不會像另一部改編自漫畫的大型舞台劇《蜘蛛俠》，劇中沒有歌唱，但觀眾可預期有蝙蝠、特效和飛行。《蜘蛛俠》和《蝙蝠俠現場》另一大差別是成本：蜘蛛俠漫畫改編的這齣百老匯大戲，以6500萬美元（約18億7千餘萬台幣）天價製作費成為頭條新聞，蝙蝠俠據說費用約1950萬美元（約5億6千餘萬台幣）。
In this photo, Nick Court, who plays Batman, rear, and Michael Pickering who plays Robin perform on stage to launch the Batman Live Tour in central London, 12 April 2010. Combining acrobatics, stunt work and illusions, the adventures of Batman and Robin are brought to life on stage for the first time in the characters history.
照片中，扮演蝙蝠俠的尼克．柯特（後），和扮演羅賓的邁克．皮克林（前）2010年4月12日在倫敦市中心發表《蝙蝠俠現場》巡迴演出時在舞台上表演。劇中結合雜技、特技和幻想，蝙蝠俠和羅賓的冒險故事在角色誕生後首次搬上舞台。（美聯社）