Set in the world of Middle-earth, the musical tells the tale of a humble hobbit who is asked to play the hero and undertake a treacherous mission to destroy an evil, magic ring without being seduced by its power.

[1] The Watermill production was announced to open in July 2024 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater,[2] before transferring to the Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2024.

The three-and-a-half-hour-long three-act production, with a cast of 65 actors, was mounted in Toronto, Canada, at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at a cost of approximately C$30 million.

It starred Brent Carver as Gandalf and Michael Therriault as Gollum, and was directed by Matthew Warchus and choreographed by Peter Darling, with set and costume design by Rob Howell.

[10] Ben Brantley of the New York Times said it was "largely incomprehensible", explaining that "Everyone and everything winds up lost," ... "includ(ing) plot, character and the patience of most ordinary theatergoers.

"[11] The significantly re-written show, shortened to three hours, began previews at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 9 May 2007, with its official premiere on 19 June 2007.

[20] Susannah Clapp in The Observer called the stage design "gargantuan" with "a terrific, house-size spider", "black-leather Orcs ... like scarab Richard IIIs" and "long-winded ents ... on stilts".

[25] In 2023, the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Berkshire, revived a scaled-down version of the show for a 12-week run as The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale.

[26][27][28] In 2024, the Watermill production was announced to be making its North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, running from 19 July to 1 September.

[33] The production opened at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia with a new cast on 7 January 2025[34] before embarking on an Australian tour to Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, followed by a season at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

The Ring is greatly desired by the Dark Lord Sauron, who could use it to conquer the world, and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor.

At the Inn of the Prancing Pony in the village of Bree, Frodo and his friends sing and dance for their fellow guests ("The Cat and the Moon").

Awaiting them at the Elven settlement of Rivendell is Arwen, the beloved of Strider, whose true name is Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor ("The Song of Hope").

Arwen's father, Lord Elrond, calls a Council of Elves, Men and Dwarves at which it is decided that Frodo will carry the Ring to Mordor.

The Fellowship of the Ring sets out from Rivendell: Frodo and his three fellow Hobbits, Aragorn, the warrior Boromir, the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli, and the wizard Gandalf.

If Aragorn can defeat the forces of evil and reclaim the kingship of Men, he will receive Arwen's hand in marriage ("The Song of Hope (Duet)").