REVIEW | Lord of the Rings, Watermill Theatre

Nuwan Hugh Perera (Sam) & Louis Maskell (Frodo) in Lord of the Rings - Credit: Pamela Raith

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Emmie

---

Creating a musical from one of the greatest works of fantasy literature in British history is a mammoth task for anyone to undertake. However, Watermill Theatre’s brand-new intimate revival of The Lord of the Rings musical, based on the classic trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien exceeds all expectations and then some with unforgettable results. This is probably the most innovative piece of theatre you’ll see outside of London in 2023.

Set across both the Watermill auditorium and gardens, audiences are immersed in the magical landscape that Middle-earth has to offer. Paul Hart (Director), Anjali Mehra (Choreographer), George Reeve (Projection Designer) and Mark Aspinall (Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator) have emphasised these worlds and their inhabitants in spectacular style - no CGI needed here! Collectively, through the finer details of the choreography, puppetry and the use of space and projection, they do an incredible job of portraying this epic journey which celebrates the power of love and common goodness to conquer unimaginable evil. Their ability to portray several stunning key battles in the story land with a huge effect on an audience who are as equally passionate about the reputation of this story as the people working creatively behind it. 

As mentioned previously, the show is not limited to the interior of the theatre alone, making use of the beautiful gardens and sending the audience on a journey of their own throughout the show.

The performance does a phenomenal job of adapting Tolkien’s story, even if a few alterations are made in order to make it fit the timing of a stage performance as opposed to a three-movie runtime (plus the extended editions), so you will certainly notice some changes if you are familiar with the movies. However there is one significant difference which actually brings the story more in line with the books and will be a pleasant surprise for those only familiar with the movies, but creates a wonderful ending to the performance.

The Lord of the Rings musical is brought to life by a magnificently talented cast of 20 actor-musicians. This is at the heart of a lot of the work at Watermill Theatre; actor musicianship is what they do best and this is no exception. They navigate through the story and space in their characters whilst bringing to life A.R. Rahman, Värttinä and Christopher Nightingale’s beautiful music score in such an intimate space that it has such a stronger impact.

The acting in this Watermill production is brilliant throughout. Louis Maskell takes on the challenge of bringing the beloved Frodo to life and makes it utterly his own. Hugh Perera’s Sam provides a lot of warmth as well as the right level of bravery and loyalty needed for his character. Georgia Louise is incredible as Galadriel and it's one the best performances I’ve seen of her career yet. Whilst Fellowship hobbits Geraint Downing and Amelia Gabriel deliver heartfelt interpretations of Merry and Pippin, they provide comic relief and the audience lapped up every moment to enjoy their presence on the stage. 

The strength of this cast isn’t lost in the rest of them with Aaron Sidwell, Folatin Akinmade, Peter Dukes, Tom Giles, Peter Marinker, Charlotte Grayson, Aoife O’Dea, John O’Mahony and Yazdan Qafouri giving a real sense of these recognisable characters. Expanding to an equally strong ensemble cast including Bridget Lappin, Elliot Mackenzie, Reece Causton, Kelly Coughlin and Sioned Saunders.

Although the performance of the night came from Matthew Bugg. His interpretation of Gollum is as vivid as the one recognised in the book and in the films. This is a complex character and beyond his iconic speaking mannerisms, Bugg has done an excellent job of diving even further to really establish how he can put his own stamp on it. He really immerses himself in it and uses the space around him in order to execute it just as the audience would expect.

This is the best production from Watermill Theatre yet - it’s bold and captivating. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most innovative pieces of theatre you can get your hands on outside of London.

Not only that but this is an important summer for The Watermill Theatre. This beautiful arts space lost £464,000 of funding last year, despite government promises to redistribute more money across England. It’s fundamental to have spaces like this outside of London where brilliant new productions are being created and we have a duty as supporters of new musicals to contribute to its future.

The Lord of the Rings is performing at the Watermill Theatre until 15 October 2023.