The Lord Of The Rings, the theatrical extravaganza based on JRR Tolkien’s trilogy of fantasy books, has announced that its run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane will come to an end on 19 July. This is not the end for the show, however; the quest to save Middle Earth will continue with a German production and a tour of New Zealand, Australia and the Far East planned for 2009.
The tale of hobbits, elves, orcs, wizards and an all-powerful ring opened in London last May, at a cost of £12.5 million, and will have played 492 performances when the curtain finally comes down in July. An epic tale of good versus evil, The Lord Of The Rings follows a band of adventurers as they struggle to save their world from seemingly inevitable peril.
The show was first staged in Canada in March 2006. Learning from this initial production, The Lord Of The Rings was revised for its London opening in 2007.
A period of rebuilding saw Theatre Royal Drury Lane transformed into the enchanted world of Middle Earth, with a revolving lift system installed on the stage and Rob Howell’s designs extending into the auditorium. The show’s success was marked earlier in the year when it received five Laurence Olivier Award nominations, including Best New Musical. It was also among the three top-selling shows of the Society of London Theatre’s Kids Week and Get Into London Theatre promotions.
Speaking about the announcement producer Kevin Wallace commented: “The show’s creative team has proven just how enchanting, exhilarating and powerfully entertaining The Lord Of The Rings can be live on stage. We will continue to bring this incredible theatrical event to audiences in London until 19 July, and we look forward to presenting the show to new audiences abroad from 2009.”
No announcement has been made about which show will replace The Lord Of The Rings at Drury Lane. em>MA