While the wait for the July 2011 opening of Batman Live in Manchester, England may seem like an eternity for fans, new details from the Manchester Evening News have shed some new light on what attendees can look forward to seeing next summer. The story, which will focus on Dick Grayson's transformation from orphan to Batman's acrobatic sidekick, has been confirmed to include The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman and the Batmobile. What's more, the show's updated official website confirms the inclusion of villains Two-Face, Harley Quinn, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Scarface & The Ventriloquist and allies Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth.

Executive producer Nick Grace, formerly of Mamma Mia! and Walking With Dinosaurs, emphasized that the live Batman show that includes a 130-foot video screen, a full-scale Batmobile and a cast of more than 90 performers had to go big to encapsulate the world of the Caped Crusader. "We decided against theatres because you can't do things on a huge scale. In the arenas you can have pyrotechnics and large video screens and lots of action. An event like this deserves to be in a big space," said Grace.

"It is not a musical," Grace told the Manchester Evening News, "but a dramatic show with a storyline which tells the origins of Batman's sidekick Robin. There is dialogue but the scenes are short, snappy and full of action. We basically wanted to bring the excitement of a comicbook to stage."

North American fans will have to wait until 2012 to catch the show on this side of the Atlantic, but the lag isn't without its merits. Surely the producers will consider modifying the show to include The KGBeast? Right?

Check out a recording session of a portion of the live show's score below:


[Via Superhero Hype]