Lord of the Rings (musical)

This article is about the theatre production. For other uses, see The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation).

The Lord of the Rings
Music
Lyrics
Book
  • Shaun McKenna
  • Matthew Warchus
SettingMiddle-earth
BasisThe Lord of the Rings
by J. R. R. Tolkien
PremiereMarch 23, 2006 (2006-03-23): Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto
Productions

The Lord of the Rings is a stage musical with music by A. R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale, and lyrics and book by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, based on the novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the most prominent of several theatre adaptations of the novel. Set in the world of Middle-earth, the musical tells the tale of a humble hobbit who is asked to play the hero and undertake a treacherous mission to destroy an evil, magic ring without being seduced by its power.

The musical has been performed in four professional productions. It was first performed in 2006 at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. The second production opened at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End in June 2007 where it played until July 2008. The musical was revived in 2023 at the Watermill Theatre in Berkshire (UK), winning Best Regional Production in TheWhatsOnStage Awards 2024.[1] This production opened in summer 2024 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater,[2] and will play at The Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand in November of that same year.[3] A season starting on 5 January 2025 has also been announced at the State Theatre in Sydney,[4] with additional runs at the Crown Theatre in Perth, and the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne.[5] The production will return to the UK for a run at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in October 2025, before embarking on a European tour.[6]

  1. ^ "The 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: Full list of winners". 11 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Chicago Shakespeare Theater: The Lord of the Rings".
  3. ^ "KevinWallace.co.uk: News".
  4. ^ "Sydney State Theater: The Lord of the Rings".
  5. ^ "Australian production of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale bound for Crown Theatre Perth in 2025".
  6. ^ "The Lord of the Rings musical to return to UK shores ahead of European tour".