REVIEW: Lord of the Rings
- Posted on May 16, 2007 6:30 PM
- 21 comments
We love to hear what the fans think of the West End's gems (and disasters). Adam Walker saw The Lord Of The Rings last night and is still reeling from the experience. He'd never managed to sit through the movie but somehow, came out of the theatre production smiling. Here's what he had to say:
I went to see this last night (Tuesday 15th May 2007); still first week in preview. But you wouldn't have known it. About as polished as a show can get.
Make no mistake, if you want to see a spectacular show, book for this immediately.
Having never seen even five minutes of any of the films, I really had no idea what I was letting myself in for (my girlfriend is a huge fan - so I knew it was about a ring, some hobbits and some orcs - but that's about it)...
We sat in the Balcony row D 29 and 30. Be warned, the climb to seats from ground level is a big one, especially when you're faced with the curt warning of showtime in 2 minutes! Leave yourself plenty of time to get in and settle back.
Agreed, it is high up. But really the seats are excellent value for money (especially in preview price). You see the whole set from here, and you're looking down on it, so really you don't miss a trick - and it's awe inspiring to see the set at work (more on that in minute).
We saw 'The Producers' at this theatre a while back, and it's been closed for the past 5 months for refurbishment and set building. And you can see where the money has been spent. Without wanting to spoil anyone's future enjoyment, when you take your seat you cannot behold what they have done to the stage (and this is before the show's even started).
I was sceptical going in, and came out overwhelmed and expectations well exceeded.
I wouldn't define this as a musical (there are some big numbers - and well sung - a few sound problems with the mics but that's about it) but more a stage adaptation with music.
This show is long (it started at 7.30pm and we left at 11pm) - one 20 minute break, followed by another 5 minute interval - and it appears that the orcs now invade every level of the theatre - so you're not safe from any seat (a great interactive addition to the show - and far more effective than 'Cats').
The star of the show is the set. It's about as awesome as you're ever going to see in live theatre at this present moment - and for that alone, it's worth every penny.
Want more? Read the Seatwave Theatre Buff's review.
Have you seen The Lord Of The Rings? Do you rate it? Did the Hobbits float your Tolkein boat? Tell all in our comments section.
Comments (21)
Roz
What a fantastic evening we had, we sat in the dress circle row F which were good seats had a great view of the stage. The stage itself was breathtaking, the interaction with the audience from the hobbits and the orcs was brilliant. The show started at 7.30 we left about 11, there were 3 intervals. Please take your own refreshments as it cost us £6.50 for 2 bottles of water and a bag of sweets. The show itself was amazing, spectacular special effects, beautiful singing, great acting all round. Would definitely recommend this as a must see.
Posted on May 22, 2007 3:52 PM
craig ludvigsen
The creation that is lord of the rings is by far a modern day classic tale that never loses its alure on all age groups and any era. For this reason its content will last the test of time ensuring its welth in the hearts of people for many years to come. By far tolkien was ahead of his time and would have to be in the top 10 best authors of the 20th century. Even if your not a fan of fantasy film you can still find yourself being absorbed in some way into the world of middle earth, in the end its a story that everyone can identify with in ither a small or large way. In conclusion the great story basis is the struggle between the forces of good and evil, a perception that is promenant in all great films today and in the past.
Posted on May 24, 2007 1:46 PM
Ashley Brown
The Theatre production of this most classical of classical books has some how been destroyed by this poor quality production. Before going to see the Musical (Epic Story with songs and line dancing hobbits)Make sure you have read the books seen the films and bought all the T-shirts. This show will on survive on peoples curiosity however; you should spend your money on the Lion King, or even Wicked as they are far better than this Hyped up rubbish. However, i do feel that all the credit should go to the set designers, and Galadriel a.k.a Laura Michelle Kelly as they appear to have the best contributions within this epic tale. So if you dare to bear the burden that is 3hours long then i will share my golden covered chocolate medallion with you.
Posted on June 19, 2007 9:56 PM
S Nikelle
I went a few weeks a go. Got to say the stage was impressive - no doubts.
But the acting - I've never seen it delivered so badly, and in the West End at those ticket prices, I am shocked. During the first act the actors all seemed to be in a rush to say their lines, giving no room for the audience to appreciete the comedy embedded in them - probably wanted to be somewhere else; by the second act, half the audience where I was seated were feeling the same way. And as for the songs - hello!!!! Now can someone remind me, isn't this story a fantasy, by this stage versions' standards, it might as well have been just another musical drama. Shame really, as an idea it has so much potential - if only they took the time to do it properly, this could have been quite something.
Posted on November 5, 2007 7:44 AM
Peter Tedd
My wife and I travelled from Birmingham and paid £120 for two tickes. It was the worst production that we had ever seen. For, supposed mainstream actors, their delivery was as wooden as Fangorn Forest. Aragorn, rasped his lines in a gutteral tone that made him sound like a frog. Gandalf was absolutely terrible, Frodo, no better. We sat for three hours waiting for the memorable song or moment. Frankly you can't dress up bad acting with special effects. I would have liked my money back under the Trade Description Act. This was no fun.
Posted on December 2, 2007 9:34 PM
Steve M.
I went to see Lord of the Rings for my birthday and thought i'll be in for a real treat, alas this production is just something that you can see was just cooked up to get people to spend their money and not come back. The acting was absolutely appalling for a west end show its just not acceptable. The costumes were just cheap only some had good costumes but most are just a disgrace for such an epic story. I really wouldnt recommend this production to any one. I couldnt wait for the show the end it was that boring.
Posted on December 11, 2007 5:34 PM
Zoe
I was thoroughly disappointed by this show, the irony I believe is that while the show largely surmounted the most obvious difficulties of set/scenery magnitude and compacting a very long story into a short space of time they failed dismally with the script dialogue, tacky music and dreadful acting. Gandalf and Aragorn were particularly dreadful with absolutely no presence and displaying the most ham handed, school production 'dramatic' acting I've ever seen. There were far too many songs which are cheesy and boring and seemed to thrown in to fill time which could have more effectively used developing the story. The battle scenes are average and interpreted through dance which starts off well but becomes tedious to the point where it starts to look like a boy band in armour doing a routine for X factor. The only redeeming feature (apart from the set production) is Gollum who does add some integrity with an excellent energetic, squirming, scysophrenic portrayal.
Posted on December 19, 2007 2:31 PM
martin hayes
i watched the show yesterday lunchtime and i thought it was one of the best shows i have ever seen, being a big tolkien fan i was very impressed on how they have brought the book to life on the stage, the set was amazing a real treat to see, the characters were very good and it made you feel as though you were in the book, orcs even came to where you were sitting and tried to scare the audience, which was amazing. i think it was a brilliant performance on all stages and well worth the money, well worth seeing,
Posted on January 13, 2008 2:52 PM
Sor Fee
I was really excited about the play as I was very curious how they would attempt to bring such a complex (from watching the trilogy in the cinema) story to stage. Questions like how are they going to cramp 9 hours of show in the cinema into a 3 hour theatre production, how would they show the fighting scene of the multitudes at Gondor, the crossing of the river when Arwen came to the rescue, Gollum, etc. I came out of the theatre totally impressed and awed by the play. I can't help but agree that the acting wasn't top of the class and occasionally some scenes appear a little snappy (well they do have some time constraint) but the production as a whole (settings, delivery of the story) was fantastic! I've seen many musicals and plays and this is definitely one of the most impessive.
Posted on January 15, 2008 9:49 PM
Andrew Sellers
I went to see this "show" on the 14th of February - spent £120 pounds on 2 tickets and first impressions were great - well at least until the cast opened their mouths and it was downhill from there. Apart from the vocals of Galdriel - the rest of the cast were just really unimpressive and did not live upto expectations when you saw how amazing the set was....and it was really fantastic...The worst performer had to be Gandalf who lived upto hisname - "Gandalf the grey" - this was a very grey performance indeed - he talked as though he was reading his lines for the first time - disinterested; monotone; bumbling;and amateurish. sorry - just not good enough at those prices!
Posted on February 15, 2008 3:03 PM
John Hodgson
PERFORMANCE: Thrs 14th Feb, Amazing set - and that's all. The story lacked drama - you are not bothered about what happens to any central character as there isn't a central character - it's a whirling tableaux of costume and set changes(an amazing set admittedly)always in a hurry to get to the next snapshot of plot, unavoidable I suppose to cram it all in - but the characters were too thinly acted (Bilbo non-existant but more especially Gandalf, who came across as a disinterested bystander). Saruman had the better voice, but wot...? his arm gestures looked like they were operated by remote control sticks (muppet?). In fact, gestures were used generally to signify who was speaking, it was THAT confusing. Much of the dialogue was lost in the first act due to patchy mikeing (Bilbo especially)- but what I could hear was banal anyway. The individual singing generally lacked power with the exception of Gimli (great in one brief song) and the 2 female elves. The dancing in the prancing pony was pretty risible - I couldn't get the dwarf-dance/Stonehenge scene from Spinal tap out of my mind. The physical acting of Gollum was great - but even that just served to underline the underachievement of the other characters. Audience reaction was polite but muted - a handful left early. Even the cast seemed to be in a hurry to leave at the curtain call. At the end of 3 crippling hours in uncomfortable upper circle seats I wasn't bothered WHO ended up in the fires (and it was nearly as hot too in the upper circle). Interesting technically (at times breathtaking) but it left us all unmoved. Better mikeing of the actors might help - and if the songs/dance were ditched perhaps there would be room/time for better acting and dialogue. The power of the set leaves you watching the set, so eventually you become detached from the 'drama'. The characters need somehow to be as big! The tube ride home was in dispirited silence - tho' I did offer £10 to any of us who could whistle a few bars of any of the songs. My money was safe.
Posted on February 16, 2008 9:10 PM
Ian Rainsby
Oh dear. My wife and I went to see this show last week (April 2008) with big expectations. Luckily I bought cheap tickets but unluckily I did not know that there was a "pre-show" before 7.30 which meant that we could not take our seats when we arrived at 7.25. The set is fantastic, the choregraphy very good, and I though the music was ok (the lead female was superb). The biggest problem was that (apart from Gollum and Pippin) the characters were not engaging. Frodo sounded like someone out of a car insurance advert and Gandalf was awful. Like some of the other reviewers on here I didn't care what happened to them and my mind was drifting to what the queue for taxis might be like after. I was desperate to like the show, but, for the 1st time ever, I left before the encore. Go see Billy Elliott or Wicked.
Posted on April 16, 2008 1:50 PM
Dunks
Brilliant, completely overwhlemed by such a magnificent production. Apart from a few faults with some of the cast. I belive some of the previous reviews are a tad unfair. Ok it wasnt the storyline i was expecting and a lot was missed out but they cant make it 6 hours long can they!?Fantastic set and amazing special effects combined brilliantly with a mixture of jolly and powerful singing. Arwen was strong and made the most of her short time on stage. Galdriel was outstanding. Simply superb singing and led the cast by miles even though she wasnt meant to. The hobbits were entertaining if sometimes a bit cheesy. Frodo sounded horrible and Merry had an annoying singing voice but Pippin was hilarious.Gollum was dynamic but Gandalf was terrible and Aragorn not much better and some of the catring was a bit ropey but cast this aside and you have a marvellous spectacle and i thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful evening. So sad that its leaving so go quick and you will enjoy yourself!!
Posted on May 20, 2008 6:40 PM
Paul Phillip
I saw the production in June as I understand it finishes in July. Overall it is a poor show (ironically with all the money spent.) Whilst the set is excellent and good interaction between orcs and audicence, the whole affair is topedo'd by the poor acting notably of Gandalf and Aragorn. The depth of the book and film is lost and the production is more a collection of action scenes than a compelling story. Bravo however goes to Gollum, an engaging performance!
Posted on June 8, 2008 10:58 PM
Gerry Black
I agree that some of the comments are unfair. The acting may not be the best but overall the show is spectacular with the most amazing sets and effects. We found it a highly entertaining evening that I would recommend to anyone with youth in their heart.
Posted on June 17, 2008 2:48 PM
Denise Barker
We were fortunate enough to be given tickets to see this production and went to the matinee performance last Saturday. I have to say I am not an avid Lord of the Rings fan as my husband is, have seen all of the films, but went with an open mind. What a fantastic show. The secenery was splendid, the special effects amazing, particularly Gollum who crawled down the back drop like a spider. I have raved about this to everyone since and have encouraged four of my family/acquaintances to see it before it closes. If it was ever on the circuit around the country, I would certainly go again.
Posted on June 25, 2008 10:51 AM
gemma middleton
i am going to see the show tomorrow night the 4th im really hoping i enjoy it cant wait to report back
Posted on July 3, 2008 8:16 PM
gem and ben
Having just seen the show last nite im shocked to see so many people did not enjoy this show. Not only was it the biggest spectacle of a production ive seen on the west end,but the character performances when received with an OPEN mind were extremely good and when taken into account with the acrobatic talent of the hobbits and orcs,complex scene changes and having to be aware of a constantly morphing hydraulic stage(in itself an amazing thing) i found the performances to b breathtaking.ANY1 will luv this!
Posted on July 5, 2008 9:35 PM
gem
further more the actors were amazing i really dont know what show you lot were all watching
Posted on July 5, 2008 9:43 PM
ND
Went to see the show on Saturday matinee WOW!!! What a show we hada great time. I'm not sure what people were expecting, I suspect the films which was never going to happen. Taken as a show telling a story I thought it was superb. 3 hours went surprisingly quickly and both Galadriel and Arwen had great singing voices. All in all a great afternoons entertainment! Shame it's closing I would certainly have gone back for a second visit.
Posted on July 14, 2008 10:12 AM
Imran Asghar
I went with my wife and spent £80 of my childs inheritance to watch this tripe. What a waste. When I caught myself falling asleep I took the initative and walked out. It was so Hot I felt like I was back in Egypt (where I had just come back from holiday and it was averaging 38 Degrees. In fact it felt hotter. (Whats with the lack of air con!?) I wasnt the only one that thought it was rubbish, upon turning around and checking out the rest of the audience, some where agitated, falling asleep, looked bored I think you get the idea. Onto the cast - Frodo seemed totally bored. gandalf didnt engage me in the slightest all he seemed to do is shout all his lines. Most of the cast just seemed rushed and the "epic" parts were also rushed. It was really hard to understand what the guys were "singing" If you can even call it singing. Pippin was quite good. Gollum was poor. At least they could have done was conceal the stilts some of the cast were wearing. The stage was pointless. The best bit was the first 30 seconds watching the hobbits catch fire flies. A raely disappointment, I left early and had I not been so sweaty and irritated I would have demanded a dammed refund. Anyway Im so glad I left early and didnt have to shuffle out at the end feeling like a total moran. What a total waste of my life.
Posted on July 16, 2008 12:29 AM
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