THE LORD OF THE RINGS to March 2008.
London.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
by J R R Tolkein adapted by by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus Music by A R Rahman an d Värttinä.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Mon 7pm, Tue-Sat 7.30pm Mat Thu and Sat 2pm.
Runs 3hrs 10mins Two intervals.
TICKETS:0870 890 6002.
www.lotr.com
Review: Geoff Ambler 20 June 2007.
Epic musical theatre, magical elves, maurauding leatherclad orcs and a whole pile of imagination.
Uninfluenced by the movie but maintaining the Tolkein’s narrative, creating its own persona on the way, this is its own master with, if anything, yet more beauty, imagination and reality. It’s so real it steps off the stage and touches you, growls and snarls at you, and offers you an apple.
A forest encroaches beyond the proscenium. Hobbits gambol around the audience, chasing fireflies and each other, sharing their food with bewildered people, settling into their seats. Their happy, peaceful existence shows in the joy of an opening Morris-influenced number. Contrast this with Orcs marauding through the aisles and it is evident an emotional bond has been developed through face-to-face (or fang) theatre.
To get to this point co-adapter/director Matthew Warchus and his creative team have had to think outside a whole box factory of boxes, hurdling the boundaries of what can be achieved in a theatre.
Magic, mirrors, misdirection and mist beguile rather than swamp the show. The Rings actors engage the audience; the heart never beats stronger than when an absolutely glorious and golden Galadriel (Laura Michelle Kelly) descends on ribbons, voice soaring. Arwen (Rosalie Craig) and Aragorn’s (Jerome Pradon) ballads inspiring memories of loves past; Shelob with her eight masked, chanting attendants creeping out of the gloom, makes an icy chill ripple through the audience. When Sam (Peter Howe) and Frodo (James Loye) battle over the Ring, a surprisingly supple and magnificently psychotic Gollum (Michael Therriault), and ultimately each other, their friendship wins every time.
“Unleash your imagination” is the poster's advice, to which I would add “Embrace your inner child” and almost in the words of the new King of Men “Praise Matthew with great praise!”. Don’t expect the movie on stage, but also don’t expect a thousand page novel in three hours. Instead expect a tale of heroism, love, friendship and hope; expect soaring powerful songs that leaves you dreaming of golden forests, lost loves, lively parties and times and friends past; expect enchantment, fear, joy and surprise and most of all, expect shock, expect awe and expect to leave with a big grin.
Gandalf: Malcolm Storry.
Frodo: James Loye.
Gollum: Michael Therriault.
Aragorn: Jérôme Pradon.
Galadriel: Laura Michelle Kelly.
Sam: Peter Howe.
Merry: Richard Henders.
Pippin: Owen Sharpe.
Legolas: Michael Rouse.
Gimli: Sévan Stephan.
Boromir: Steven Miller.
Arwen: Rosalie Craig.
Saruman: Brian Protheroe.
Elrond / Ensemble: Andrew Jarvis.
Bilbo / Ensemble: Terence Frisch.
Steward / Ensemble: Tim Morgan.
Rosie / Ensemble: Kirsty Malpass.
Elránien / Ensemble: Alexandra Bonnet.
Barliman / Ensemble: Tim Parker.
Bill Ferny/Treebeard/Ensemble: Michael Hobbs.
Ensemble: Gregory Bradley, James Byng, Darren Carnall, Lee Clayden, Jennie Dale, Stephen Emery, Ben Evans, Josh Feldschuh, Alma Ferovic, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Christopher D. Hunt, Luke Johnson, David Grant, Shaun Henson, Richard Roe, Andrew Rothwell, Robbie Scotcher, Nick Searle, Stevie Tate-Bauer, Jon Tsouras, Gavin Wilkinson, Stuart Neal, Kirk Zammit.
Swing: Claire Doyle, Chris Gage, Corrie Mac, Scott Owen, Adam Salter, Sam Wilmot.
Swing / Dance Captain: Glenn Wilkinson.
Director: Matthew Warchus.
Designer/Costume: Rob Howell.
Lighting: Paul Pyant.
Sound: Simon Baker.
Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator: Christopher Nightingale.
Choreographer: Peter Darling.
2007-06-24 21:11:02