The Lord of the Rings musical last few days

Rachael Livermore

On 9 May 2007, I went to the first preview of the stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings expecting it to be a travesty. As such, I was as surprised as anyone to find myself writing a review which commended it not only as an adaptation of Tolkien's work, but also as a piece of theatre in its own right.

Fourteen months later, I have seen the show twenty-eight times and counting, and I am as enthralled by it as ever. The spectacle of this production is impressive, combining the extravagance of a Vegas show with the stylised art of The Lion King, but that has been documented well enough elsewhere. I am, first and foremost, a Tolkien fan, and as such I would urge anyone who considers themselves a fan of The Lord of the Rings to give this show a chance while you still can.

As adaptations go, this one takes a lot of liberties. Yet it doesn't matter that we have soldiers waving Gondorian flags at Helm's Deep, which is apparently within sight of Isengard. I can forgive the Grey Havens for being in the Shire (even after Frodo has spoken of Hobbits' fear and avoidance of the sea), because the real triumph of this show is that it manages to capture the spirit of Tolkien even without being a completely faithful representation of the story.

Yes, we lose some geography and back story, but such details are lost in order to make room for the real heart of the tale: the characters. Frodo, as portrayed initially by James Loye and now by James Byng, is every bit the strong, reserved squire of the book, and Peter Howe's Sam is perfect: utterly devoted to Frodo and with good hobbit-sense and an air of childlike wonder. Their scenes are some of the most memorable of the show, albeit the least spectacular.

While the Frodo-Sam-Gollum triangle is solidly at the core of this adaptation (to the emphatic approval of this hobbit-lover), other characters are not short-changed. The initial enmity and growing friendship between Gimli (Sévan Stephan) and Legolas (Michael Rouse) is also given rightful prominence, and is beautifully portrayed by both actors.

What this production captures most of all is the bittersweet nostalgia of the book: in Elrond and Galadriel's acceptance of their fading power and Gimli's haunting lament for Moria, there is a real sense of the place this story occupies within the history of Middle-earth. This is not a one-off battle, but the transition from the dominion of Elves to that of Men; a point that the films (where Elves and green ghoulies were always on hand to rescue the hapless Men) missed entirely.

If you've yet to see the show, you need to move swiftly. Sadly, it seems that even the commercial appeal of The Lord of the Rings post-Jackson is not enough to compete with the onslaught of reality television; Middle-earth will be saved only a few more times before it is swept away to make room for Oliver! I urge anyone with an appreciation for Tolkien or theatre – or especially both – to give The Lord of the Rings a chance while you still can.

On July 19th we will say Namárië to a show that, for me, has been the most inspirational adaptation of Tolkien ever produced. I, for one, feel that the West End will be a darker place without it.