Lord of the Rings, the most expensive production in West End history, opened to a standing ovation from its audience with some praising it as brilliant and a wonder.
The stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien has cost the makers of the show 25 million to re-create Middle-earth and opened on Tuesday at London's Theatre Royal. However, the toast of the show, for most critics in London, has been its score by Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman.
Rahman has collaborated with Finnish Folk group Vrttin and Christopher Nightingale for the musical. Rahman's second appearance in London theatre, following Bombay Dreams, didn't disappoint anyone. The Times called the production a "wonder" and "a brave, stirring, epic piece of popular theatre" while The Telegraph wrote "A high-risk musical version of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has passed its first test with flying colours" and The Guardian gave the musical four out of five stars.
Popular British actress Judi Dench, who attended the premiere with other celebrities such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kevin Spacey, said, "For anyone who is a Tolkien fan, it is just a terrific treat. I have never seen the films, but I am a great fan of Tolkien's writing. It has wonderful choreography and the cast worked so hard."
Speaking about the success of the show Rahman said he was happy with the reviews and hoped that everyone who came in would enjoy the show. However, the loss of his laptop, which contained his musical data, has the composer worried at the moment. "I do hope I'm able to recover it soon. But at the same time I'm gad the way things are going for the show. We have read some very good stuff about the show," says Rahman.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Cricket
