Sydney Reviews

So how do you adapt one of the worlds most loved epic tales by J.R.R. Tolkien from three densely packed novels into a 3 hours of live music theatre? Well, the answer is very satisfyingly indeed – and it's playing at the State Theatre in Sydney right now, before touring to multiple cities.

All reservations were swept aside, as this utterly charming, exceptionally well-crafted piece of music theatre unfolded in front of an enrapture audience on opening night. The adaptation has been written under licence from Middle-earth Enterprises – the guardians of Tolkien’s works – and captures the essence of his tale in a very satisfying way. It is like a warm fireside bedside story, full of love and adventure, and brimming with detailed observations of this magical world. It finds its own unique niche among this tales many incarnations and holds its own alongside them all within its particular genre.

The characters are recognisable but not slavish copies of previous versions. The casting is immaculate and exciting, and the performances imbue the storytelling with an energy, truth and commitment that sweep you along with their journey and touch your heart in a very intimate way. The only way to succeed in covering the immense sweep of this tale is to make each moment real and personal and the book by Shaun McKenna and Mathew Warchus lands this epic undertaking quite flawlessly. Despite the extraordinary editing job required, the story remains cohesive and understandable and somehow even unrushed. It is certainly an enviable achievement.

Firmly centred on the Hobbits view of the journey, this production anchors itself in the relationships and friendships forged on the journey, but still offers up some breathtaking theatrical effects through puppetry, music, choreography and projection that support some quite extraordinary performances by this company of multi skilled performer musicians.

The beating heart of this story is always the friendship between Frodo and Sam, and Rarmian Newton and Wern Mak not just hold their own but often transcend previous versions of their characters to capture our hearts with their unique connection. Not to mention their wonderful voices and astounding physical skills.

But that is a hallmark of this production. The huge cast draw on an assortment of music, acting and physical skills to create an unexpectedly exciting form of storytelling that continues to surprise and impress as each scene unfolds. There are just too many special moments to mention them all, but Laurence Boxhall’s Gollum is a spectacular highlight, the tortured twisting character fully realised and as touching and malevolent as you could wish for. Rob Mallet lands the challengingly noble smouldering character of Strider with lantern jawed ease, Terence Crawford’s Gandalf is as wonderful a sorcerer father-figure as you could wish for and Stefanie Caccamo as Arwen and Jemma Rix as (a visually somewhat Eurovision inspired) Galadriel use their breathtaking vocal talents to deliver some of the most extraordinary musical moments of the evening.

This is a very immersive production. The characters welcome you into the theatre for Bilbo’s eleventy first birthday, and you can chat and play games with them as the show begins. And for those who might be wary of such involvement, rest assured it’s a delightful relaxed and welcoming start. Not at all confronting, it is a wonderful introduction to the comfortable and engaging storytelling style of the evening ahead.

In short this is a very convincing and credible version of Tolkien’s tale and will appeal to both novices and groupies alike. The mix of music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä and Christopher Nightingale is gorgeous and appropriately haunting, reflecting the multi-cultural influences of each. And the skilful staging led by Director Paul Hart and Choreographer Anjali Mehra with a huge team of creatives as epic as the original books themselves, is as magical as you might anticipate from a trip to Middle Earth. Yes, there’s Ring Wraiths, a Balrog, Shelob and numerous battles, and to paraphrase one of the stories best known lines – they shall all pass!!

If you have reservations around ‘how could this be possible’ then dispel them immediately. This show works wonderfully and rewards its audience with one of the most touching and entrancing renditions of this well-known tale that you could wish for. Full of charm, warmth and spectacular theatrical invention, it is a night in the theatre that you really won’t want to miss.

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