The play production of The Hobbit was presented at The Storybook Theatre on February 19, 2015. The story is set in Middle-Earth, an imaginary place where elves, trolls, goblins, dwarves, wizards, dragons, and hobbits, people who are half of the size of normal men, live. An evil dragon by the name of Smaug had taken over the dwarves’ land and treasure, so a hobbit by the name of Bilbo goes on an adventure with a group of dwarves, lead by Thorin Oakenshield, to reclaim the treasure and land.
Actors with character changes were interesting to watch because each actor portrayed multiple personalities well and according to their varying characters. Especially the roles played by actor Kurtis Gibbs was amusing because his characters were not alike in their nature, but he presented both with distinct emotions and personalities. Additionally, the character Gollum was well played by Simon McKenzie. His movements were very true to the character because Gollum is a creepy, not quite human character. By roaming the stage in an awkward motion, he portrayed his character appropriately. Kevin Trumble, who played the Elven King and Tom the Troll, especially had a booming projection of his voice that was appropriate with the characters he played. Overall, the actors showed tight teamwork, allowing the work on stage to carry out seamlessly.
The directing of the play was excellent; the blocking went well with the theme of the play. As the plot is about an adventure, the fast tempo of the play seemed natural, allowing the audience to fully understand the story, even though it was lacking, compared to the book. Additionally, the fast pace of the actors’ movements complimented the tempo. The blocking was well done, given the limited space that the stage allotted. It was especially enjoyable to see Gollum jumping off of the set pieces because it enhanced the character. Also, when Thorin reclaimed his position as King Under the Mountains, the rest of the dwarves kneeled before him. The difference in levels showed the importance of Thorin’s character over the rest of the dwarves. The blocking was used purposefully to show different personalities and relationships.
The design of this play was impressive. Gollum’s makeup and the set pieces were especially impactful. Gollum wore full body makeup to effectively create the creepy, not quite human character that was mentioned earlier. As for the set pieces, although the actors had confessed that the rock set pieces were made of spray foam and Styrofoam, the rocks actually seemed realistic from the audience. Also the use of the projection screen was effective. It created different setting that otherwise would not have been included. For instance, the moving projection of the sky when the eagles were “flying” was effective. However, the sound cues were often themes from the movie, so it would have been better for the play to use other music to set it apart from the movie. Generally, however, the design was creative and effective.
On the whole, the play was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it to other people. Especially since, the production was generally true to the books, more than to the movies, so even the most avid Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans would not be disappointed. The entire audience was united in their reactions through the entire show, laughing and being on edge at the appropriate times. The actors digested their characters very well and had captivating stage presence. The play was a great adaptation of a famous book.