Way back in the 1950s, J. R. R. Tolkien released a series of novels that would leave a lasting impact on modern pop culture. From the release of Peter Jackson’s film series to recent television productions, commonly known as ‘LOTR’, The Lord of the Rings is a name that many would be familiar with. Now, there’s stage production based on the original tale playing in Australia. Yes, that’s right. A Lord of the Rings musical!
With Book and Lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, and music by A. R. Rahman, Värttinä and Christopher Nightingale, titled The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale, the production premiered in Toronto in 2006. After almost 20 years later, the fantasy musical has made its Australian debut. Directed by Paul Hart and Produced by GWB Entertainment, Kevin Wallace Productions and Middle-Earth Enterprises, the epic tale has finally made its way to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre.
The Lord of the Rings is no simple tale. The original novels are spread over three large books with an incredibly detailed narrative. The Peter Jackson films are a minimum of 3-hours each, and that isn’t even the extended versions! After seeing the films multiple times, I was curious to experience how the stage production would condense this epic tale into a single production.
Walking into the Comedy Theatre, and past a sign wishing Bilbo Baggins a happy 111th birthday, the stage appeared to represent The Shire. At its centre, a giant straw ring stood, flanked by a range of instruments at either end of the Melbourne stage. As patrons slowly took to their seats, the ensemble began to appear. Some with instruments in hand and appearing to play folk music. I knew immediately that this production had talented cast that would double as the musicians on stage. The vibe was inclusive, happy, especially when the ensemble began mingling with the audience. After all, it is Bilbo Baggins’ Elenventy-First birthday party!
For the uninitiated, The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy tale that follows a single ring. Crafted by the Dark Lord Sauron, The One Ring has the power to rule over all of Middle Earth. After losing it in battle many years ago, the ring eventually found its way to a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Laurence Coy) who, after the birthday celebrations, bequeathed the ring to his nephew Frodo Baggins (Rarmian Newton). A great wizard, Gandalf (Terence Crawford), discovers the ring’s existence and sends Frodo, and his friend Samwise Gamgee (Wern Mak) on a quest to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom.
Along the way, a Fellowship is formed. Consisting of Hobbits; Pippin (Hannah Buckley) and Merry (Jeremi Campese), Ranger of the North and heir of to the Ancient King of Gondor; Strider/Aragon (Rob Mallett), an Elven Archer; Legolas (Hanlon Innocent), a Dwarf; Gimli (Connor Morel) and a human warrior and descendant of the Stewards of Gondor; Boromir (Rohan Cambell).
During their epic journey, The Fellowship encounter many challenges and find allies in the Elves of Lothlórien led by one of the first born, Galadriel (Jemma Rix). They also encounter the Orc army lead by Saruman (Ian Stenlake) and engage in multiple epic battles as they fight to protect Middle Earth. Eventually, Frodo and Sam split and make their way to Mount Doom, encountering a troubled creature known as Gollum (Laurence Boxhall). Having once possessed the ring, it all but destroyed him, splitting his personality from Smeagol, the Hobbit that found the ‘precious’ ring, and the creature he is today, Gollum. We also have a recurring character with an Elf of Rivendell, Arwen Evenstar (Stefanie Caccamo), who is deeply in love with Aragon and appears throughout the production.
As you can see, there is a lot to cover and with only three hours to do it, the writing has cleverly been condensed into a piecemeal version of the otherwise extensively detailed narrative. One choice that I had initially thought was strange but understood later was the consolidation of the King of Rohan, Théoden and the Steward of Gondor, Denethor into a single role of a Steward of the Kingdom of Men, and a single arc battle against the orcs. But there was one omission that I sorely missed, that being the powerful female character of Éowyn (played in the films by Miranda Otto), and the evil antagonist of the Witch-King.
The Lord of the Rings : A Musical Tale is billed as a musical and with its multi-talented cast doubling as the musicians, there were moments where I felt the instruments got in the way.
The Fellowship cast are all fantastic in their respective roles. Hannah Buckley steps into the role of Pippin, complete with her incredible wielding of the Violin and Sword, and with a vocal performance that is just as good. Alongside her is Jeremi Campese as Merry, the perfect companion to Buckley’s Pippin, who also plays the Cello.
Terence Crawford as Gandalf, portrays the grand wizard with a commanding presence and an ever so subtle cheeky demeanour. Rob Mallet as Strider/Aragon exudes the strength of a warrior and the determination of a leader. Connor Morel as Gimli not only represents the character extremely well, complete with the accent we’ve come to know and love from the films, but he also smashes it with his dual role on the guitar. Plus, Hanlon Innocent and Rohan Cambell as Legolas and Boromir, respectively, both portray their characters well.
Friend of The Fellowship, Stefanie Caccamo as Arwen Evenstar and her angelic voice thoroughly impressed. Not only does she sing so beautifully, hitting jaw-dropping notes that many would be envious of, but she also plays the harp. Admittedly, Arwen is my least favourite character in the fantasy franchise, however, Caccamo’s Arwen is mysterious, graceful and likable. Sticking with the female Elven leads, we also have Aussie musical theatre icon Jemma Rix in the role of glitteringly gold and regal Galadriel. Her musical numbers seize the room and remind Melbourne patrons of Rix’s exceptional and undeniable talent.
Our main character of Frodo Baggins is wonderfully performed by Rarmian Newton. Newton expertly displays the slow decline of Frodo as The Ring begins to weigh him down. His movement clearly depicts the heavy burden, and when he puts on the ring, mixed with the amazing Lighting Design by Rory Beaton, the change between the living and invisible realms is believable.
Laurence Boxhall stuns as Gollum/Smeagol, complete with the voice that the film’s Andy Serkis made so iconic. Boxhall’s body language as he struggles between the characters of Smeagol and Gollum is extraordinary. I have no idea how Boxhall manages to crawl around on stage as the diminished character night after night, but he does so with such ease. Boxhall even has his own musical moment as both characters, making his performance a crowd favourite.
However, it is Samwise Gamgee who is my favourite character of the production. Wern Mak is wonderful, sweet and endearing as Sam. He portrays the character as more of an endearing friend than ward or employee. His tone towards Frodo is loving and he builds the character up to provide the redemption arc that Sam sincerely deserves. Sam’s song, ‘Now and For Always’ is a beautiful ballad dedicated to his friendship with Frodo and his love for The Shire. And in a musical production with mostly forgettable songs and music, this one stuck. Not only is it beautifully performed by Mak exquisite and intimately on the acoustic guitar, but it also showcases Sam’s dedication to the quest and elevates the character as the unsung and true hero of the entire story.
The Lord of the Rings is brought to life on stage thanks to excellent lighting, sound, and super impressive puppetry. From the intimidating Black Riders depicted with large, skeletal horse heads, to the giant spider in the tunnels of Mordor, we really feel like we’re right there on the journey with Frodo. The costuming is also impressive, from the clear delineation between Hobbits and other members of The Fellowship, to the dark and scary design of the Orcs, every little detail was expertly crafted to accompany each character.
This show is very long and feels it, spanning 3 hours including a 15-minute interval. In fact, I have never wanted The Ring to be destroyed more than while witnessing this production. The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale often feels mislabeled as a musical and seems more of a play with songs. There are also some odd dialogue choices that appear far too cheesy and unnecessary for such majestic content, as well as some songs that don’t stay with you as much as you’d like.
Yet, despite this criticism, this production succeeds an incredible feat in executing the delivery of a condensed subject matter that’s usually of biblical proportions. Plus, the more I think about this show, the more I adore it. Forgiving its flaws, The Lord of The Rings remains mighty impressive, thanks to the visual spectacle it contains and its immensely multi-talented cast that passionately deliver an epic tale in a three hour all-singing-dancing-instrument-playing marathon.
The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale is a wonderful addition to an already popular franchise that will leave even the hardcore fans thoroughly impressed.
The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale is now on at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until the 22nd of June and will head to the Gold Coast’s Hota Theatre this July.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://lotronstage.com
Photography by Daniel Boud.
