Did you like the film ‘The Lord of the Rings?’ Are
you a performer who can sing and dance? And most importantly, are you less than
1.7 metres tall with big, hairy feet?
If the answer is yes to all of these questions then maybe you
should audition for a part in the new stage production of the
musical version of the Lord of the Rings.
Hundreds of aspiring actors have descended upon
London’s Theatre Royal hoping to be cast as hobbits in the new musical
version of JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel. The show, which will open
in June 2007, will be the most expensive ever staged in London, costing
an estimated ￡12.5 million.
Competition is fierce to get a part
in the lavish production with actors queuing round the block just
to get a few seconds to impress the audition panel.
However, the show’s producer Kevin Wallace has said
that he is sure he will find some actors in the open auditions.
“From every open call I have ever done, people have
ended up in the show," Mr Wallace said, "We will not go through this
process and not find anyone to join the show, I am absolutely confident of
that."
The Lord of the Rings musical is the latest West End
show to be adapted from Hollywood movies. Theatre-goers in London can
enjoy a wide variety of musicals based on films - The Producers, Mary Poppins,
Dirty Dancing and Billy Elliot all began life on the silver screen.
If the trend continues, perhaps we will soon see King
Kong the Musical or Spiderman’s Song and Dance Show on the London stage.
What about you? Which film would you like to see as a
musical? Send your ideas and suggestions to chinaelt@bbc.co.uk or use the
comments form at the top of the page.
