The Lord of The Rings musical is getting a revival at The Watermill Theatre in Newbury.
Billed as an intimate immersive show the production is set across both the Watermill auditorium and gardens, immersing audiences in the magical landscape of Tolkien featuring an ensemble cast and large-scale puppets.
The musical tale based on the classic trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, has book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, and music by A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Värttinä and Tony Award winner and Grammy nominated Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical).
With the production set across both the Watermill auditorium and gardens, audiences will be immersed in the magical landscape of Tolkien, joining an ensemble cast and large-scale puppets on an epic journey celebrating the power of friendship and common goodness to conquer unimaginable evil.
The show is brought to life by director Paul Hart and designer Simon Kenny, with further creatives and casting to be announced. The shows has been written and produced under license from Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC (MEE).
Paul Hart said, “We are thrilled to be bringing Bag End to Bagnor this summer with one of the most epic stories ever written. Our production of The Lord of the Rings will take audiences from the lush idyll of the Shire in our gardens to the darkest depths of the Cracks of Doom. You may be wondering how we’re going to fit this huge show in our 200-seat theatre – come and witness the impossible!”
Claire Murray, Executive Director at The Watermill said, “Staging The Lord of the Rings reflects that our ambition hasn’t been diminished by the loss of Arts Council England funding. We’re continuing to invest in the work on our stages, in the talented artists who create this work and in reaching and connecting with audiences locally and nationally. To enable this, we’re continuing to review our business model and we’re pleased to say that we’re able to offer 28% of the tickets for the show for only £25, with priority on sales for Friends and email subscribers. With a 12-week long run, we can’t wait to welcome more people than ever to our unique and magical site to experience this epic story.”
Fredrica Drotos, Director of Brand and Licensing at Middle-earth Enterprises added; “Middle-earth Enterprises along with Kevin Wallace can’t imagine a more fitting locale for the live staging of the Fellowship’s epic adventures from the Shire to Mordor, and back again, than at the Watermill Theatre, set in the bucolic Berkshire countryside.”
The Lord of the Rings will play at the Watermill from Tuesday 25 July until Sunday 15 October 2023.
