We had all been wondering – how do you translate to the stage a story that takes 1,216 pages to tell in a book, and 9 hours to tell on the screen? (11 hours if it’s the extended version). After all, there are so many dedicated fans who know and love your story inside out. The very concept is fraught with risk. Sure, your run time of 3 hours is generous for a musical, but can you really squeeze everything that needs to fit into this epic saga? And is it possible to do justice to JRR Tolkien and Peter Jackson’s works in the process?
The answer, surprisingly, is an overwhelming and resounding ‘yes’. In fact, you’ve managed to fit in the entire contents of the first and second books/movies (which, for the record are both longer than the third book) by the time the interval arrives. But what’s more, you’ve left us slightly baffled as to how you did it. All key scenes we know and love are accounted for – many with musical numbers to accompany.
We do acknowledge though, that most of us are so acquainted with the story that we don’t need much of an explanation. You’re probably not the kind of musical a person can easily ‘pick up’ on the go. Should such a person exist who hasn’t seen the movies or read the book, the (very) brief summary is: Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit creature in the world of Middle-Earth, is tasked by the wizard Gandalf to destroy a dangerous and powerful ring that belongs to a fearsome sorcerer, Sauron. He sets off on a perilous journey, encountering friends and enemies on the way. It’s the story that established the entire genre of ‘epic fantasy’.
While you breeze over many of the major battle scenes from the third movie quickly (given your obvious constraints of time and medium), you give us enough drama and action to stay true to the story. In fact, your fight sequences surpass anything we’ve seen live, and several action scenes receive ovations for their brilliance, even without a single person singing (unheard of in the world of musical theatre). In one scene, involving a giant puppet, you have the entire audience utterly agog, in disbelief over what we’re seeing.
Your creative team must have been like kids in a candy store. All theatrical aspects – design, sound, lighting, special effects, and projection – are brilliantly combined to take us on this thrilling adventure. You capture the essence of each pocket of Middle-Earth: The safe, heartwarming feel of the Shire, through to the beauty of Lothlorien and Rivendell, and on to the very fires of Mordor itself. And you’re one of those rare shows that rewards those sitting a little further from the front – as we get to see Frodo (Rarmian Newton), Gandalf (Terence Crawford), ring-wraiths and the like, occasionally moving about the auditorium as though it were a kind of extended stage – adding a whole other dimension to the performance.
Ok. Now that we’ve established that you can do justice to the story, the next key question is – how do you add musical numbers to an epic fantasy-world without becoming cringy? The answer: Easily. Music is already the lifeblood of the movie (don’t forget it twice won Best Original Score), which took inspiration from the books themselves, which are seeped with songs and poetry – including lyrics in Old English and Elvish. Perhaps the better question is – why hasn’t this been turned into a musical sooner?
As a matter of fact, your multi-talented cast play your score right there on stage, in place of a conventional orchestra. Flutes, violins, drums, harp. What extraordinary musicianship. And each song is the kind we can fall in love with instantly, even if we have no real idea what they’re singing about. It doesn’t matter because they perfectly convey the unfolding emotion.
Frodo, Samwise (Wern Mak), Pippin (Hannah Buckley), Merry (Jeremi Campese), and the rest of the hobbits inspire pure joy with their spritely, Celtic-influenced folk melodies. The elves evoke a sense of hope. Arwen (Stefanie Caccamo) may not be the warrior she was in the movie (Tolkien fans will tell you she was never supposed to be anyway), but boy does she take us somewhere else with that voice. And despite having only a small role in the narrative arc, Galadrial’s (Jemma Rix) stirring vocals are the centrepiece of the show – with ethereal chords that bring a lump to our throat. (Enya revivalist movement, anyone?).
All throughout, you treat us to a chorus and instrumental that accentuates the beauty and drama – much like the film soundtrack. Searing horns and percussion evoke a crazy amount of suspense during the battles. (Though there are no singing and dancing Orcs here, in case anyone is still wondering). We do get solos from the members of the Fellowship however, including Strider (Rob Mallett), Boromir (Rohan Campbell), Gimli (Connor Morel), and Legolas (Conor Neylon). Each briefly but beautifully tells the backstories of their people.
Now, let’s talk about Gollum. Just like Andy Serkis, who played the character on the big screen, Laurence Boxhall gives an astounding performance. He switches so seamlessly from villain to victim, we’re completely torn between abject terror and deep pity. Often from one line to the next. But he also does something Serkis never had to do – sing a musical theatre number without breaking from Gollum’s iconic, guttural, child-like voice even for a second. It’s truly a highlight.
Yes, Lord of the Rings, it’s only January, but might you have already given us the most underrated show of the year? It’s hard to imagine things getting more epic than this, or more uniformly strong across all fronts – acting, vocals, musical score, stage effects. And heart. Just like the book and film, you put the profoundly loyal friendship of Sam and Frodo at the front and centre. Gandalf sums it up best: “It never ceases to amaze me, the courage of Hobbits!’.
By the time anyone gets around to reading this, you will have almost departed us, spending such a short time here (four weeks in total). It’s a shame really, because so much of your marketing strategy relies on word-of mouth. But for those of us who did manage to find you in time, we will forever be spellbound. You live up to everything we wanted you to be, but never actually expected you to be. And that is incredibly rare.
With love,
Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is showing at the State Theatre until 1 February 2025, then Perth 19 March-4 April, Melbourne 26 April-30 May, and Gold Coast 4-20 July. Images: State Theatre Sydney.
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