Overview
For a few winter weeks in 2025, Middle-earth is coming to the Gold Coast, but not exactly as everyone knows it. What happens when one of the most-beloved fantasy tales adds singing and dancing? Prepare to find out at The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale. The stage production layers tunes into JRR Tolkien's iconic story, including as its hobbits go on perilous adventures, and it has just locked in the only Queensland stop on its upcoming Australian tour.
A Sydney season was announced back in August, with news arriving in October that Melbourne and Perth will also be enjoying a musical LoTR journey. Now comes confirmation of southeast Queensland's turn — only at HOTA, Home of the Arts from Friday, July 4–Sunday, July 20.
On screens big and small for decades so far (and into the future, with more TV episodes and movies on the way), hobbits have trekked, ate second breakfasts and attempted to project precious jewellery. Onstage Down Under in 2025, they'll also be marking an eleventy-first birthday, receiving a gold ring, taking a quest to Mordor and attempting to fight evil in The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale.
The Harbour City season at the State Theatre comes first, followed by a stop at Crown Theatre in Western Australia from March, then a Victorian stint at Comedy Theatre that starts in April — before the Sunshine State joins in.
Dating back to 2006, just after the original live-action movie trilogy, this stage musical was revived in the UK in 2023, opened in the US in July 2024 and will hit New Zealand this November before crossing the ditch. Your guides for the show are the hobbits, of course, as Frodo and company celebrate Bilbo Baggins, then depart The Shire upon a life-changing journey. Thanks to Tolkien, what occurs from there has enthralled audiences for 70 years now, with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers initially hitting bookshelves in 1954.
There's been no shortage of ways to indulge your Lord of the Rings love since Peter Jackson's features — including his Hobbit trilogy — helped fan the flames of pop culture's affection for Frodo, Samwise, Pippin, Merry and the franchise's many non-underground-dwelling characters. Cinema marathons, visiting the Hobbiton movie set, staying there overnight, hitting up pop-up hobbit houses, sipping hobbit-themed beer: they've all been on the agenda.
Only The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is combining all things LoTR with tunes and dancing, however, in a show that sports a book and lyrics by from Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day the Musical), plus original music by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner AR Rahman, folk band Värttinä from Finland and Matilda the Musical alum Christopher Nightingale.
The Australian cast has also been announced, including Rarmian Newton as Frodo Baggins, Wern Mak as Samwise Gamgee, Jeremi Campese as Merry and Hannah Buckley as Pippin. Laurence Boxhall is playing Gollum, Andrew Broadbent steps into Elrond's shoes and Terence Crawford is Gandalf — with Rohan Campbell as Boromir, Stefanie Caccamo as Arwen, Rob Mallett as Strider, Connor Morel as Gimli, Conor Neylon as Legolas, Jemma Rix as Galadriel, Ian Stenlake as Saruman and Ruby Clark as Rosie, too.
The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale Australian Dates 2025
From Tuesday, January 7 — State Theatre, Sydney
From Wednesday, March 19 — Crown Theatre, Perth
From Monday, April 21 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
From Friday, July 4–Sunday, July 20 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast
The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is touring Australia from January 2025. Head to the production's website for further details and to sign up for the ticket waitlist.
Images: Liz Lauren.