James Loye in
The Lord of the Rings
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The West End production of The Lord of the Rings is closing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on July 19, after 492 performances.
The show, which opened on June 19, 2007, is based on the popular books by J.R.R. Tolkien. It features music by composer A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams) and Finland's contemporary folk group Värttinä with Christopher Nightingale and book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and director Matthew Warchus. The production followed the 70th anniversary of Tolkien starting to write the trilogy and the 50th anniversary of the publication of the complete trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
Producers are now discussing reopening a German-language version of the show in Germany in November 2009 as well as tours to New Zealand, Australia and the Far East. “We will continue to bring this incredible theatrical event to audiences in London until July 19,” producer Kevin Wallace said in a statement, “and we look forward to presenting the show to new audiences abroad from 2009.”
The Lord of the Rings, which features a 50-strong cast and costly technical wizardry, reportedly cost £12.5 million, making it the most expensive venture ever produced in the West End.
A revival of Oliver!, which will cast the roles of Oliver and Nancy via the reality TV show I’d Do Anything, is expected to be the Theatre Royal Drury Lane’s next tenant.