LONG before the hairy-footed halfling Frodo tossed the malevolent ring of power into the fiery depths of Mount Doom, his plucky uncle Bilbo set off on an equally exciting, but slightly less grandiose, adventure of his own.
As Lord Of The Rings fans will know, The Hobbit was Tolkien’s first foray into the world of Middle Earth and introduces us for the first time to The Shire’s diminutive residents, the formidible wizard Gandalf, elves, dwarves, goblins and the ghoulish Gollum.
Throw in a fire breathing dragon and the discovery of ‘that’ ring and you have all the right ingredients for a swashbuckling fantasy.
After the success of Peter Jackson’s bum numbingly long but brilliant film trilogy, re-creating Tolkien’s vividly imagined Middle Earth on stage must have sounded like a fool proof plan.
Just throw some money at it and what could possibly go wrong?
But with its hokey script, kitsch synthesised sound effects and cartoonish battle scenes, Glyn Robbins’s adaptation is closer to Xena: Warrior Princess than Tolkien’s beloved book.
As Bilbo Baggins is swept away on a quest for treasure by a gang of dispossessed dwarves, giant spiders, camp flying elves and Morris dancing wood cutters appear from nowhere, leaving adults scratching their heads but children wriggling with delight.
The sumptuous costumes, gothic set pieces and stunning special effects, including a gargantuan Smaug the dragon, make for a spectacular show and its creaky storytelling is not without charm.
Solid performances from its likable stars, notably Peter Howe as the reluctant hobbit and Darwin lookalike Christopher Robbie as Gandalf, help detract from the production’s shakier elements.
Christopher Llewellyn is no Andy Serkis as the hobbit turned swamp creature Gollum, but is suitably reptilian, slithering and taunting the terrified Bilbo with his riddles and mad ramblings in the dark mountain caves.
Bringing the story to life on stage was never going to be an easy task. But director Roy Marsden has certainly had good stab at it, undaunted by the scale of Tolkien’s vast world.
All in all, The Hobbit is an endearing, though slightly ill-conceived, show which probably won't satisfy die hard fans but will definitely provide an evening of diverting family entertainment.
The Hobbit. The Orchard, Home Gardens, Dartford. Until Sunday. 01322 220000.
Can't make it to The Hobbit at The Orchard? Catch it again when it comes to The Churchill in Bromley from April 27 to May 2. Call 0844 871 7620.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here