Bewertung zu David Theatre Royal von poshtotty

7:00pm, Monday 18th June 2007. The walk from Covent Garden Underground Station was filled with promise and excitement as the long anticipated wait for the night's upcoming performance was soon to reveal itself.

Leaving the street performers and market stalls of Covent Gardens behind, I turned in Drury Lane and came face to face with the magical world of theatre. In all its magnificence it stood The Theatre Royal, a secret gateway into the world of Tolkien and The Lord of The Rings - The Musical.

7:30pm stuck I made my way into the theatre. Arriving at seat B34 (dress circle), I discovered that I had a perfect view of the stage. Opening my £3.50 program, I began to soak in the pre-performance action occurring on stage. I found myself gazing into the world of Middle Earth and of hobbits running amuck amongst audience members as a pre-performance treat.

I was presently surprised when none other than Merry and Pippin popped up in the dress circle to create havoc by walking along the back of people's seats, and then stealing them when they were vacant. The “terrible” twosome created the perfect atmosphere and encouraged audience participation. From the dress circle, Merry and Pippin called out to the stalls to the likes of the Gaffer and Mrs. Gracegurdle, other Tolkien favorites, who responded by throwing biscuits up to the dress circle much to the audience’s amusement. The audience was also invited to help the Hobbit catch fireflies flying, small laser lights, above head and put them into a jar for the Hobbits to keep.

One by one, the Hobbits disappeared backstage and the lights dimmed. The performance was opened with an upbeat dance signifying Bilbo's party.

As the play progressed we were introduced to Tolkien's other characters; Gandalf, Strider, Sam and Rosie, Arwen, Boromir, Legolas (who did not do Orlando Bloom justice!) and Gimli.
Whilst all of the cast were amazing, the stand out character for me was Galadriel. She had a voice so pure that I got goose bumps whenever she sung. She appeared on stage wearing a floor length gold bodice which flowed into a dress complete with stilt-like shoes which created the illusion of height. Her entrance was made perfect by her being lowered down from the ceiling via cables giving her a weightless appearance.

Interval broke at about 9:00 pm shortly after the fight to the death battle between Gandalf and the Balrog. During the "you shall not pass" scene, they released black pieces of tissue paper from the ceiling while the tension of Gandalf's death grows. It was a perfect way to take the audience out of their seats and into the journey with the Fellowship. As Gandalf, defeated, fell to the stage floor, the lights on stage went out and the lights for the audience came up. I don't think anyone in the audience moved for five minutes due to the overwhelming power of the performance.

After treating myself to a £3 ice-cream in the twenty minute break, I rushed back into the theatre only to be met by a dozen orcs. Stalking us as we took our seats, the theatre was full of hysterical laughter from audience members who were unsettled by the Orcs' presence. This was kept up for a further five, ten minutes until a very loud, much unexpected bang came from the orchestra and the second act started. Recovering from their almost heart attack, the audience gave on unanimous laugh and cheered for more.

The second act was just as inviting as the first. At 10:45pm the performance concluded to a standing ovation.

The Lord of the Rings – The Musical is currently running at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Ticket prices range from £15 and are worth every penny.