
See Middle-Earth With Fresh Eyes In ‘The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale’

If there’s one trait that seems to follow adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and its associated works around, it’s ambition. It most famously manifested in Peter Jackson’s incredible trilogy of films, but that reach-for-the-skies mentality is also present in The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale, a stage adaptation of Tolkein’s work that’s a sincerely delightful way for fans to revisit the tale of the War of the Ring.
I call it ambitious because this adaptation of Middle-earth’s most famous tale has the impossible task of fitting three books worth of material into a single three-hour stage show. LotR: A Musical Tale seems to know that it’s impossible to fully tell the whole story, opting instead to focus on the most essential moments while conveying the heart of Tolkein’s work.
As such, I wouldn’t say that this is the version of The Lord of the Rings you should start with if you’ve never experienced the trilogy before. But if you’re a verified fan of this series, LotR: A Musical Tale is well-worth seeing to appreciate how the Fellowship is brought to life with live performances, music and genuinely impressive effects.

An impressively realised musical
A remarkably impressive element of this production is that the music is also played visibly on-stage by both members of the greater ensemble and primary cast. It’s a genuinely impressive feat of stagecraft, given there are often a huge number of performers on-stage who each have to remember their choreography, lines and how to play their music.
This also makes the musical element feel deeply integrated into the narrative of the show, such as in the opening sequence at Bilbo’s birthday party or an impromptu tavern jig at The Prancing Pony. I never stopped being impressed with the multidisciplinary talent on display, nor with how the cast seemingly made instruments consistently appear out of thin air.
A moment that really stuck out to me was when Frodo and Samwise, played by Rarmian Newton and Wern Mak who brilliantly portray the relationship between the two hobbits, are deep in Mordor, both extremely fatigued by the journey so far. As Sam, Mak begins to play the guitar and reprise a song from earlier in the show, allowing the weary pair to remember what life was like in The Shire. As the song progresses, more members of the cast add to the song with their own instruments as Newton and Mak sing, creating a palpable feeling of nostalgia in this sequence. This is what the show does best; taking moments from the trilogy and remixing it in an interesting way through theatre.

A loving tribute to The Lord of the Rings
The wider cast is stellar too; I’ve mentioned Newtown and Mak already, but I also really enjoyed Terrence Crawford as Gandalf, Connor Morel as Gimli, Jeremi Campese and Hannah Buckley as Merry and Pippin and Stefanie Caccamo as Arwen, among many others. The performances deliberately evoke what was done in the Peter Jackson films, which I think is suitable for the show’s intent.
This is particularly true of Laurence Boxhall’s portrayal of Gollum, which is undoubtedly vocally similar to Andy Serkis’ performance in the films. Nonetheless, it’s a supremely impressive physical turn by Boxhall who makes a huge impact from the second he enters in the second half. I was extremely impressed by the fact that he managed to sing in this role, too – if by some chance you’ve ever thought LotR would be better with a Gollum/Smeagol musical number, this is the show for you!
Additionally, LotR: A Musical Tale excels at conveying the sense of scale that Tolkein’s tale requires. A surprising amount of action takes place in the stalls of the State Theatre, as characters enter and exit from the front of the stage and call out to one another from amongst the audience.

Revisit The Lord of the Rings in a new way
Additionally, some really creative choices are made when conveying the story’s most fantastical moments. Each of them – the Ringwraiths with their huge snapping horse skulls, the Balrog as a moving mass beneath lava, Shelob the spider with a surprisingly huge and freaky rig – were sincerely impressive feats of theatre that delighted me to watch.
That’s exactly why I think The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale is worth seeing if you’re a fan of Tolkein’s books, Jackson’s movies or both. It’s unlikely to surprise you, and it’s certainly not the whole experience; but it is a new take that’s sure to delight fans of this iconic tale of Middle-Earth with its highly enjoyable approach to the material.
The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale is playing at the State Theatre until February 1st.