The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will premiere in Middle-earth itself (or as it’s also known, New Zealand) later this year.

The show will run for a strictly limited season at The Civic, Auckland from November 5th.

The musical follows the Fellowship’s legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor, to vanquish evil. The folk-inspired score is performed live by the company on stage, weaving together original music with storytelling.

“We are delighted to share director Paul Hart’s imagining of The Lord of the Rings on stage with New Zealand audiences before it embarks on its journey to entertain audiences around the world,” said Kevin Wallace on behalf of the producers. “This production that originated in the English Shires, before its US Premiere in Chicago, comes to Auckland where we invite New Zealand to join us for Bilbo Baggins’ Long-expected Party.”

More details about the New Zealand production are available here.