The Lord of the Rings musical to open in New Zealand

The award-winning production of The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale will open in New Zealand.

Directed by Paul Hart, the production began life at the Watermill Theatre in England in the summer of 2023, where it received a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Regional Production.

Inspired by the novels by J R R Tolkien, the musical has book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale.

This musical adaptation was first performed at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in 2006, which was followed by a run at the Drury Lane in London’s West End in 2007.

It will have its New Zealand premiere at the Civic in Auckland, where it will play for a limited season from 5 November 2024. Tickets will go on sale soon.

An American production is also due to run from 19 July to 1 September, and is due to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was published on 29 July 1954.

‘The greatest show on Middle-earth comes home to Middle-earth!” declared Fredrica Drotos today (though today in the UK is tomorrow in New Zealand, but hey ho. Drotos, Middle-earth Enterprises’ steward of brand and licensing, added: “We are very much looking forward to sharing the Hobbits’ epic re-telling with all our friends there; when The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale, premieres in Auckland, New Zealand this November.”