The Lord of the Rings review: an enchanting musical at Watermill Theatre
Playful and energetic, this Tolkien tale contains moments of real wonder

When it came to the West End in 2007, “The Lord of the Rings” was a “notorious flop”, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph. A spectacular mega-musical, incorporating folk, Bollywood influences and pop, it had cost a record-breaking £12.5m to stage, at the 2,000- seat Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and closed after 13 months. So this “enchantingly intimate”, scaled-down staging at the lovely Watermill Theatre, outside Newbury, is a form of redemption for the show.
Directed by Paul Hart, it draws in its audience with magnificent “clarity and verve”, said Judi Herman on What’s On Stage. Breathtaking set and costume design; shrewd lighting; thrilling sound, projection and choreography; inventive puppetry and fight direction – all these elements have been blended “seamlessly and with wondrous imagination to tell the sweeping tale in little more than three hours”.
Controversially, this delightful theatre lost its entire Arts Council funding last year, said Clive Davis in The Times. Here, it “weaves magic on a budget that might not even cover a month’s sandwiches on a Peter Jackson film set”. Hart makes impressive use of the Watermill’s unique spaces, said Dave Fargnoli in The Stage. The performance begins outdoors on the venue’s riverside lawns, with “cheerful hobbits capering and singing as they gather for the long-awaited party at which a fateful secret will be revealed”. Later, the action “plays out among the atmospheric wooden beams and benches of the intimate auditorium”. The evening is not flawless: it is an “overstuffed” musical that remains clunky in places, and non-Tolkien aficionados might struggle. But it’s playful and energetic, and contains moments of real wonder.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 20-strong cast, many of them actor-musicians, are superb, said Mark Lawson in The Guardian. In particular, with his extraordinary ability to contort both his torso and his vocal cords, Matthew Bugg as Gollum “makes a formidable case for the superiority of Equity members over CGI”. This “spectacle of compression, by aiming small, brings big rewards”.
The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Berkshire (01635-46044; watermill.org.uk). Until 15 October. Rating ****
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Groypers: the alt-right group pulled into the foreground
The Explainer The network is led by alt-right activist Nick Fuentes
-
10 concert tours to see this upcoming fall
The Week Recommends Concert tour season isn't over. Check out these headliners.
-
How to put student loan payments on pause
The Explainer If you are starting to worry about missing payments, deferment and forbearance can help
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful north
The Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – a ‘comfort’ watch for fans
The Week Recommends The final film of the franchise gives viewers a chance to say goodbye
-
The Paper: new show, same 'warmth and goofiness'
The Week Recommends This spin-off of the American version of The Office is ‘comfortingly and wearyingly familiar’
-
Rachel Jones: Gated Canyons – ‘riotously colourful’ works from an ‘exhilarating’ painter
The Week Recommends The 34-year-old is the first artist to take over Dulwich Picture Gallery’s main space
-
Born With Teeth: ‘mischievously provocative’ play starring Ncuti Gatwa
The Week Recommends ‘Sprightly’ production from Liz Duffy Adams imagines the relationship between Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe
-
Art review: Lorna Simpson: Source Notes
Feature Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, through Nov. 2
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more