Grant brings hobbits to the stage

Popular novels The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story are being transformed for the stage.

Ian McKellen as Gandalf in the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The novels by JRR Tolkien are to be adapted into an Australian stage spectacular.

Australian adaptations of two popular fantasy novels, The Neverending Story and The Lord of the Rings, are coming to the stage, an announcement of federal arts grants has revealed.

JRR Tolkien’s novels of hobbits, elves and wizards, The Lord of the Rings, will be transformed into an “epic stage adventure” by Adelaide-based GWB entertainment, and has been granted $890,000.

The Neverending Story, by German author Michael Ende, also will be adapted for the stage for the Sydney Festival, which has received a $600,000 grant to assist its development.

The projects are contained in a $19.5m tranche of funds announced by Arts Minister Paul Fletcher. The grants are part of the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand fund, a $200m pool to help the arts and entertainment sector rebound from Covid.

The announcement said the new version of The Lord of the Rings would bring “characters and creatures from the much-loved trilogy to life”.