Lord of the Rings world arena tour to launch in 2015

The creative team behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series of movies are developing a touring show that is expected to tour arenas across the world while retaining the unique, thrilling and spectacular theatrical magic of the original production.

Set to launch in 2015, tour venues have yet been announced.

The Lord of the Rings is a spectacular production created by Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, Tony and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Peter Darling, and Tony and Olivier Award-winning set and costume designer, Rob Howell - the same creative team as on Matilda, The Royal Shakespeare Company's multi-award winning musical now playing in London and on Broadway.

Paul Pyant's lighting, special effects by Greg Meeh, sound by Simon Baker, and magic illusions by Paul Kieve complete the design tour de force.

A.R. Rahman (winner of the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Oscar for Best Film Score for Slumdog Millionaire, and a second Oscar for Best Original Song), Värttinä (renowned in their native Finland and abroad), and Christopher Nightingale, have composed the thrilling score, with lyrics and libretto by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus.

Laurie Battle of Tolkien Enterprises explained "The Lord of the Rings has earned high praise from fans of Tolkien's wonderful books and the general theatre-going public alike.

"It's a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to step into the fantastic world of Middle-earth. The telling of this epic story on stage is a brilliant example of how magical the live theatrical experience can be."

With a stunning score and one of the most beautiful and spectacular designs seen on stage, The Lord of the Rings World Tour will continue to bring to life the characters of Tolkien's Middle-earth for audiences across the globe.

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