How do you compress Tolkien’s three-book classic into a three-plus hour stage event?
Few previous adaptations of “Lord of the Rings” have attempted to condense things into a single instalment.
Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated film, while ultimately a one-off movie, was meant to be the first of two parts. Peter Jackson had one film per book to play with (and extended cuts of each movie, restoring much of what landed on the cutting room floor). And the BBC’s 1981 radio drama (which the faithful among us know to be far superior to the films) had 26 30-minute episodes.
The Watermill Theatre’s production of “The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale” is therefore up against some pretty stiff competition, and also inherits the adaptation’s tarnished legacy from its original Toronto and London productions in 2006 / 2007 (where it became one of the biggest commercial flops in West End history).
Those historic productions were criticised for having cut too much of the source material, replacing story with spectacle and thereby leaving audiences bored and unengaged for the duration of its epic runtime.
But The Watermill Theatre has made some solid creative choices in their approach, thereby producing the definitive version of the musical.
For starters, it’s a semi-immersive production. The theatre’s pastoral grounds have been transformed into The Shire, complete with wooden food stalls and barrels that could’ve been lifted straight from Jackson’s films. The cast spend much time wandering the outdoor stage and interacting (in character) with the audience before the play begins. Against the backdrop of birdsong and a babbling brook, this puts you straight into a receptively enchanted mood.
The approach to the source material also helps to keep things lively and engaging. Tolkien’s story is famously ponderous – a novel for people who love to immerse themselves in the minutiae of an invented world, but who aren’t perhaps as bothered about lively pacing.
This production strikes a good balance. The first half is pretty much a beat-for-beat translation of The Fellowship of the Ring, which means we get a decent amount of time to meet and bond with the characters, and to understand what’s at stake. The second half is where the cutting really begins – the Rohirrim are gone (along with Helm’s Deep), Theoden is merged with Denethor, Faramir is nowhere to be seen and Frodo’s long slog to Mount Doom becomes more of a brisk walk.
Will this upset the purists? Possibly – but it definitely makes for a far more dramatic (and stage-appropriate) story. If you go in expecting a remix of the source material, you’ll be fine. That said, the book and lyrics still require a degree of prior knowledge in order to make sense of the plot; this isn’t necessarily the best jumping-on point for people who are new to the story.
What about the songs? In many ways this isn’t really a traditional musical; there are no big showtunes you’ll find yourself humming on the way out. I would think of this more as a stage play with a really effective soundtrack – the songs helping to enhance the emotions of each scene, rather than to advance the plot. We all remember (and if you’re me, fast-forward through) that song in Toy Story 2 where Jesse the Cowgirl recalls how she was abandoned by her owner – well, the songs here have a similar effect. And they’re all played and performed by the actors and ensemble, which makes them way more heartfelt than songs that are played by a hidden off-stage band.
Likewise the set design, lighting, choreography and puppetry replace Jackson’s reliance on CGI to bring Middle-Earth to life. I won’t spoil the creative choices that have been made (a great deal of the magic here relies on your surprise at seeing how the production team have pulled off this amazing feat) but suffice to say that Shelob, the Balrog and several key battles are brought to stunning life.
The acting is of a very good standard throughout, the actors and actresses easily holding their own against their film and radio predecessors. Louis Maskell’s Frodo has the same sense of “otherness” that Ian Holm brought to the role in the BBC’s version; you get the impression from the off that he was always meant for more than The Shire. Nuwan Hugh Perera’s Sam avoids the “country bumpkin” interpretation of other adaptations, focusing more on the loyalty and bravery which led Tolkien himself to view the character as the true hero of the story. Geraint Downing and Amelia Gabriel round out the cast of Fellowship hobbits as Merry and Pippin, with heartfelt and warming interpretations of the characters which also provide some light comic relief.
Aaron Sidwell meanwhile brings an earthy and earnest energy to Aragorn, framing the character less as the reluctant hero of Jackson’s films and more as a regular guy who’s just trying to do the right thing. Aoife O’Dea makes for a stronger and more mystical Arwen than Liv Tyler’s action-oriented take on the role, and alongside Georgia Louise’s Galadriel gives us a real sense of the magic of Middle-Earth which will be lost if the Ring is destroyed.
The rest of the cast (all of whom deserve mention and plaudits, but I must needs keep this review relatively brief) are equally impressive and while none of the characters have an arc per se, they are all memorably and skilfully portrayed. More to the point, setting the action on a small stage means that we’re able to get up close and personal with the actors, seeing their tears and smelling the sweat and smoke of battle. This intimacy – lacking in big-budget West End versions – puts you right in the action, and brings you into the story.
Tolkien wrote his books to provide British readers with an alternative mythology for their country. Ultimately this production (set against the rural landscape which so inspired him) feels less like a blockbuster spectacular, and more like a heartfelt, almost pagan, interpretation of that mythology – and I can think of no finer praise than that.
And for those wondering whether Tom Bombadil makes an appearance – no, he doesn’t, and be very grateful for the fact. And I say that as someone who was once the youngest member of The Tolkien Society…
“Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale” runs from the 25th July to the 15th October; tickets are available at https://www.watermill.org.uk.
