The Lord of the Rings to play exclusive UK run at Theatre Royal Plymouth

14th October 2024

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale will embark on a new journey as this timeless tale unfolds in this critically acclaimed and breathtaking theatrical production, playing Theatre Royal Plymouth from 4 – 11 October 2025. This is an exclusive UK presentation of this award-winning production, following its seasons in Chicago, Auckland and Australia. 

Originating at The Watermill Theatre in 2023, and told from the Hobbits’ perspective, director Paul Hart’s production is a unique theatrical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy. Hart and the original creative team evolved the acclaimed production to play larger venues. The enhanced production played a highly successful season during the summer of 2024 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and will play upcoming seasons in Auckland, New Zealand this November, then Sydney, Australia from January 2025, with additional Asia Pacific dates to follow.

With a UK cast, the show will return to British audiences at Theatre Royal Plymouth before embarking on a European tour presented by People Entertainment Group, with details to be announced soon. 

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale is performed live by a 32-strong ensemble of actors and actor-musicians. 

The production features a score by international composers A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical), with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Groundhog Day).   

As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging—a gold ring. This fateful moment launches Frodo on a legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordorto vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship.

As producer Kevin Wallace said, “Paul’s wonderful production, invites us all to become Hobbits in the company of Hobbits, celebrating Bilbo Baggins' birthday as this incredible journey begins.”

The original 2023 production, which sold out its 12-week run at The Watermill Theatre, won a WhatsOnStage Award for ‘Best Regional Production’, and scooped eight Broadway World Awards, garnered 4- and 5-star reviews, with critics praising its innovative use of projections, puppetry, and live music. The production has been described as "exhilarating" and "rewarding" for both long-time fans of The Lord of the Rings and newcomers to the story. The following year, having evolved to include an ensemble of 30, The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale had its U.S. premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where it was described as “a must see” and “a visual marvel”.

Kevin Wallace continues, "This production began its journey at The Watermill, realised by an exceptional creative team led by Paul Hart and, in collaboration with our colleagues at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, they went on to thrill US audiences with the US Premiere at The Yard Theatre in Chicago. Together with Middle-earth Enterprises and GWB Entertainment, we are thrilled to bring it back to the UK, where it will play exclusively at Theatre Royal Plymouth before heading to Europe. It’s been an incredible experience seeing performers from each production make these roles their own, and we look forward to this new chapter, once again with a British company."

James Mackenzie-Blackman, CEO of Theatre Royal Plymouth said, "We are incredibly proud to be hosting The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale as the exclusive UK venue in 2025. This production has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, and we are excited to bring it to Plymouth. It’s a truly unique theatrical experience, combining music, storytelling, and a multi-skilled ensemble of performers. We can’t wait to share this production with our audiences before it embarks on its European tour."

For more information on all worldwide productions, visit www.lotrmusical.com.