The Hobbit will be taking a dramatic journey across Lancaster parkland this summer.
Tolkien’s adventure, which celebrates its 80th anniversary next year, will be performed outdoors in the UK’s biggest walkabout theatre season from July 5 to August 13.
The scene will be set for a rare theatrical experience presented by The Dukes theatre which has a tradition of outdoor productions for all the family, attracting more than 500,000 people since 1987.
With every show, the audience follows the action by moving from one location to another in Lancaster’s Williamson Park.
“I feel like the park chose The Hobbit,” said artistic director, Joe Sumsion. “There are some shows—and this is one of them—where people’s instant reaction is to say that will be great in the park. It’s the natural environment for it.
It is thought Tolkien was inspired to write his fantastical books by the Lancashire countryside which he visited during World War Two when his son was studying for the priesthood at a seminary which is now part of Stonyhurst College in the Ribble Valley.
Many years later, the blockbuster films adapted from his books starred Andy Serkis as Gollum who began his professional career at The Dukes 30 years ago and appeared in its very first outdoor production in 1987.
To discover more about the challenges of this year’s production, there’s a Meet the Makers free ticketed event in the theatre on June 9.