BWW Reviews: THE HOBBIT, New Wimbledon Theatre, May 5 2010

"This is no laughing matter!" So says Thorin Oakenshield, exiled King of the Dwarves, admonishing his warriors caught indulging in a bit of rough-housing. And that has always been this reviewer's problem with Tolkien, since the whole thing can only work if straight faces are maintained throughout - just one raised eyebrow about the powers of Agog, the Goblin King, and the whole of Middle Earth would collapse. In Glyn Robbins' loyal adaptation of the precursor of the Lord of the Rings, such necessary seriousness is maintained throughout, with one glorious exception.

The plot is a standard quest adventure to banish the dragon Smaug from the Lonely Mountain and return lost lands and treasures to the Dwarves. They are helped by Bilbo Baggins, the eponymous hobbit, who provides cunning and thieving skills, whilst remaining endearingly naïve. Intermittently supporting our band of desperado dwarves is the eminence gris, Gandalf, all portentous announcements and pre-occupation with The Necromancer, an off-stage Bin Ladenish figure, who is causing trouble in the South.

Kids in the audience will enjoy the fighting scenes and the spectacular sets designed by David Shields, but they may struggle to keep track of enmities and alliances quickly formed and broken. At two hours 45 minutes (finishing at 10.15pm) some kids may find it a little gruelling, though my 12 year-old certainly did not. Adults will have to swallow hard, suspend the disbelief and buy into the fantasy world - a task more suited to some than to others - but may enjoy Bilbo's riddle duel with the psychotic Gollum and the wonderfully animaTed Dragon.  

And that glorious exception to war and trauma amongst the goblins and trolls? Enter the bare-chested Beorn and the Woodsmen (with a name like that, they are already a shoo-in for the Eurovision Song Contest) who join Thorin and co for some high camp revelry, all tapping of ankles and waving of arms, like morris dancers without the hankies. Beorn's boys make The Village People look like the Rolling Stones, giving this reviewer a much needed chance to smile amidst the warring and jawing.

The Hobbit is on tour in the UK.