| The Lord of the Rings | |
| Setting: | Middle-earth |
| Premiere Location: | Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto |
The Lord of the Rings is a stage musical with music by A. R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale, and lyrics and book by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, based on the novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the most prominent of several theatre adaptations of the novel. Set in the world of Middle-earth, the musical tells the tale of a humble hobbit who is asked to play the hero and undertake a treacherous mission to destroy an evil, magic ring without being seduced by its power.
The musical has been performed in four professional productions. It was first performed in 2006 at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. The second production opened at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End in June 2007 where it played until July 2008. The musical was revived in 2023 at the Watermill Theatre in Berkshire (UK), winning Best Regional Production in TheWhatsOnStage Awards 2024.[1] This production opened in summer 2024 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater,[2] and will play at The Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand in November of that same year.[3] A season starting on 5 January 2025 has also been announced at the State Theatre in Sydney,[4] with additional runs at the Crown Theatre in Perth, and the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne.[5] The production will return to the UK for a run at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in October 2025, before embarking on a European tour.[6]
The London-based theatre producer Kevin Wallace and his partner, Saul Zaentz, who held the stage and film rights, in association with Toronto theatre owner David Mirvish and concert promoter Michael Cohl, produced a stage musical adaptation. The book and lyrics were written by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus. The music was by A. R. Rahman and Värttinä, collaborating with Christopher Nightingale. The three-and-a-half-hour-long three-act production, with a cast of 65 actors, was mounted in Toronto, Canada, at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at a cost of approximately C$30 million. It was promoted as a spectacle of unusual scale. It starred Brent Carver as Gandalf and Michael Therriault as Gollum, and was directed by Matthew Warchus and choreographed by Peter Darling, with set and costume design by Rob Howell. The production began performances on 4 February 2006, had its opening on 23 March 2006, and its final performance on 3 September 2006. The show played to almost 400,000 people in Toronto. It was nominated for 15 Dora Awards, winning 7, including Outstanding New Musical and awards for direction, design and choreography. It received largely hostile reviews from the press.[7] [8] [9] [10] Richard Corliss of Time Magazine described it as "ingenious"[11] and a "definitive megamusical".[12] Ben Brantley of the New York Times said it was "largely incomprehensible", explaining that "Everyone and everything winds up lost," ... "includ(ing) plot, character and the patience of most ordinary theatergoers."[13]
The significantly re-written show, shortened to three hours, began previews at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 9 May 2007, with its official premiere on 19 June 2007. The same creative team as the Toronto production was involved in the London production, with only four cast members reprising their roles from Toronto—James Loye (Frodo), Owen Sharpe (Pippin), Peter Howe (Sam) and Michael Therriault (Gollum). The production featured a cast of 50 actors and reportedly cost £12 million (approximately US$25 million),[14] making it one of the most expensive musicals ever produced in the West End. It was nominated for 7 Whatsonstage Theatregoer's Choice Awards in 2007 and 5 Olivier Awards in 2008, including book and lyrics, lighting (Paul Pyant), sets and costumes (both Rob Howell) and sound.[15] [16] The production took its final bow on 20 July 2008,[17] after 492 performances over a 13-month run.[18]
The Times called it "a brave, stirring, epic piece of popular theatre"[19] and The Guardian gave the show a four star rating, calling it "a hugely impressive production".[20] In The Stage, Mark Shenton wrote the production “both looks and behaves as a spectacular piece of music theatre, and there isn’t a single production element that doesn’t impress and frequently thrill.[21] The production received many negative reviews from critics; Amol Rajan in The Independent wrote that it had "received a critical mauling throughout most of its run", leading to its closure.[22] It was remarked upon at the time for its lack of commercial success.[23] In Canada, Variety labelled it "a saga of short people burdened by power jewellery".[22] The Toronto Star dubbed it "Bored of the Rings".[22] Susannah Clapp in The Observer called the stage design "gargantuan" with "a terrific, house-size spider", "black-leather Orcs ... like scarab Richard IIIs" and "long-winded ents ... on stilts". The trouble, she wrote, was that none of these characters "moves events along with any urgency."[24]
The London original cast recording was released on February 4, 2008, and features 18 musical numbers from the show.[25]
In 2013, Playbill announced that the show would be revived for a world tour in 2015. The first location for the tour would have been in New Zealand[26] but dates and other locations were never announced.[27]
In 2023, the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Berkshire, revived a scaled-down version of the show for a 12-week run as The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale.[28] [29] [30]
In 2024, the Watermill production was announced to be making its North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, running from 19 July to 1 September.[31] It was also confirmed that the production will go on an international tour.[32] In November 2024, the production will make its New Zealand premiere, with a limited run at the Civic Theatre, Auckland.[33] Following this, it will run in at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia from January 7, 2025.[34]
Long ago when the world was green and Hobbits thrived, a long dormant evil began to stir. The Dark Lord Sauron began sending out spies, wraith-like agents, to find his long-lost Ring. Forged by the darkest arts, the powerful One Ring allowed its bearer to enslave all forever.
For centuries the Ring lay buried in a riverbed until two Hobbit cousins found it and changed history. The Ring corrupts even the kindest among us and cannot be destroyed by any normal means, nor can it be hidden indefinitely, as the Dark Lord's power draws it like a magnet. When worn, the Ring allows Sauron to find the Ring-bearer. Nevertheless, magic still resides in Middle-earth and guardians watch over the vulnerable and powerless.
Our story begins at Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday party where after much merriment, Bilbo bequeaths his home and fortune to his nephew Frodo, and magically disappears.
Seventeen years later, Gandalf arrives bearing unsettling news causing Frodo to embark on an unlikely adventure, traveling far from home with two cousins and good friend Sam. Trouble follows. Befriended by a Ranger, the Hobbits bear Frodo away to Rivendell, where the Elves, Elrond and his daughter Arwen, nurse Frodo to good health and give shelter to Merry, Pippin and Sam. A meeting is convened, the Council of Elrond, to decide how to circumvent Middle-earth's growing evil. Frodo volunteers to bear the Ring to Mt. Doom to be destroyed forever. Together with Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Merry, Sam, Pippin, Strider, Gandalf and Boromir, the nine members of the Fellowship set out.
Conflict arises amongst the Fellowship, between those who seek to destroy the One Ring and end its ominous power; and those who seek to use its power for good, to secure peace and prosperity. As the Fellowship journey on, they must travel under a mountain through the abandoned Dwarven Mines of Moria, when they run into uncommon foul weather, conjured by Saruman the White, who seeks the One Ring for his own purpose. Making slow progress they awake a sleeping, demon and lose Gandalf the Grey. Emerging from the Mines bereft, believing Gandalf has perished, they are ushered into safe haven by the Elves of Lothlorien, where the great Lady of the Golden Wood, Galadriel, gifts them a phial of light and wise comfort. Soon afterward, the Fellowship is torn asunder by greed and malfeasance. Orcs attack and Boromir falls.
The Fellowship minus Boromir and Gandalf, carry on. Separated from the others, Sam and Frodo follow Gollum to Mt. Doom. The remaining Fellowship are tormented by dread; abandoning their search for Frodo and Sam, in choosing to repay a moral debt to honor Boromir they have set out hoping to distract Sauron's attention with war, thus giving Frodo a chance to succeed. Together, Treebeard and the Ents, Gimli, Legolas, Merry, Pippin, Strider and Gandalf the White win a decisive battle against Saruman at Isengard, as Galadriel weaves spells of protection. Strider takes up his reforged ancestral sword, claiming his rightful inheritance as Aragorn, King of Gondor, with the Lady Arwen by his side. The One Ring's destruction ushers in the Age of Men, and magic departs Middle-earth.
The Hobbits return home to find their beloved Shire ransacked beyond recognition. Still Samwise Gamgee is reunited with his beloved Rosie Cotton, settling down to restore home and family, and re-planting The Shire bit by bit. Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel sail West from the Grey Havens to the Undying Lands, to find respite and everlasting peace.
And thus ends, our Musical Tale.
During the scene at the Ford, Elrond was originally present in Toronto. In London however, Elrond is replaced by Alma Ferovic's character. Toronto also featured a scene in which Galadriel, Arwen, and Elrond, even though they are not physically present, view the action through magic. When the show moved to London, the prologue scene, which was shown as a shadow play, was completely absent. In addition, "Galadriel's Song" was transferred from the Lothlórien scene in Act Two to Act Three. The whole Lothlórien scene was also redesigned, and the script tightened, with many characters from Toronto being completely cut.[35]
In the 2023 Watermill Theatre production, the show was changed from having three acts to only having two. In this revision, the act break happens following the death of Boromir and the departure of Sam and Frodo. Act Two begins with the introduction of Gollum into the story.
| Character | Toronto Cast[36] | Original London Cast[37] [38] | Final London Cast[39] | Berkshire Revival Cast[40] | Final Berkshire Cast[41] | Chicago Shakespeare Cast[42] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilbo Baggins | Cliff Saunders | Terence Frisch | John O'Mahony | Rick Hall | |||
| Samwise "Sam" Gamgee | Peter Howe | Nuwan Hugh Perera | Michael Kurowski | ||||
| Rose "Rosie" Cotton | Kristin Galer | Kirsty Malpass | Charlotte Grayson | Suzanne Hannau | |||
| Frodo Baggins | James Loye | James Byng | Louis Maskell | Spencer Davis Milford | |||
| Gandalf the Grey / Gandalf the White | Brent Carver | Malcolm Storry | Andrew Jarvis | Peter Marinker | Patrick Bridgman | Tom Amandes | |
| Peregrin "Pippin" Took | Owen Sharpe | Stuart Neal | Amelia Gabriel | Ben Mathew | |||
| Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck | Dylan Roberts | Richard Henders | Ben Evans | Geraint Downing | Eileen Doan | ||
| Elránien | Monique Lund | Alexandra Bonnet | Sioned Saunders | Bernadette Santos Schwegel | |||
| Saruman the White | Richard McMillan | Brian Protheroe | Tim Morgan | Tom Giles | Jeff Parker | ||
| Barliman Butterbur | Shawn Wright | Tim Parker | Bridget Lappin | Joey Faggion | |||
| Bill Ferny | Patrick McManus | Michael Hobbs | Reece Causton | Adam Qutaishat | |||
| Aragorn (Strider) | Evan Buliung | Jérôme Pradon | Robbie Scotcher | Aaron Sidwell | Will James Jr. | ||
| Glorfindel | Alma Ferovic | ||||||
| Arwen Undómiel | Carly Street | Rosalie Craig | Aoife O'Dea | Alina Taber | |||
| Lord Elrond | Victor A. Young | Andrew Jarvis | Michael Hobbs | Tom Giles | Jeff Parker | ||
| Boromir | Dion Johnstone | Steven Miller | Peter Dukes | Matthew C. Yee | |||
| Gimli | Ross Williams | Sévan Stephan | Folarin Akinmade | Ian Maryfield | |||
| Legolas Greenleaf | Gabriel Burrafato | Michael Rouse | Yazdan Qafouri | Justin Albinder | |||
| Gollum / Sméagol | Michael Therriault | Matthew Bugg | Tony Bozzuto | ||||
| Haldir | Fraser Walters | Wayne Fitzsimmons | Elliot McKenzie | Arik Vega | |||
| Lady Galadriel | Rebecca Jackson Mendoza | Laura Michelle Kelly | Abbie Osmon | Georgia Louise | Sioned Saunders | Lauren Zakrin | |
| Treebeard | Shawn Wright | Michael Hobbs | Peter Dukes | John Lithgow | |||
| Steward of the Lands of Men | Tim Morgan | Tim Parker | John O'Mahony | Rick Hall | |||
| Éowyn[43] | Aryin Mackie | ||||||
| King Théoden | Kerry Dorey | ||||||
| Witch King of Angmar | Don Gough | ||||||
| Gaffer Gamgee | Sanders Whiting | ||||||
| Déagol[44] | Joel Benson | David Grant | |||||
| Ensemble | Reece Causton, Kelly Coughlin, Bridget Lappin, Elliot Mackenzie, Sioned Saunders, Zara Naeem | Joey Faggion, Mia Hilt, James Mueller, Jarais Musgrove, Hannah Novak, Adam Qutaishat, Laura Savage, Bernadette Santos Schwegel, Arik Vega | |||||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | [45] [46] | |
| Best Set Design | Rob Howell | |||
| Best Costume Design | ||||
| Best Lighting Design | Paul Pyant | |||
| Best Sound Design | Simon Baker | |||
2024 The Lord of the Rings was nominated for 15 Dora Awards in Canada, winning 7 including Outstanding New Musical Web site: Playbill . none.