Did you like the film ‘The Lord of the Rings?’ Are you a performer who can sing and dance? And most importantly, are you less than 1.7 metres tall with big, hairy feet? If the answer is yes to all of these questions then maybe you should audition for a part in the new stage production of the musical version of the Lord of the Rings. Hundreds of aspiring actors have descended upon London’s Theatre Royal hoping to be cast as hobbits in the new musical version of JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel. The show, which will open in June 2007, will be the most expensive ever staged in London, costing an estimated £12.5 million. Competition is fierce to get a part in the lavish production with actors queuing round the block just to get a few seconds to impress the audition panel. However, the show’s producer Kevin Wallace has said that he is sure he will find some actors in the open auditions. “From every open call I have ever done, people have ended up in the show," Mr Wallace said, "We will not go through this process and not find anyone to join the show, I am absolutely confident of that." The Lord of the Rings musical is the latest West End show to be adapted from Hollywood movies. Theatre-goers in London can enjoy a wide variety of musicals based on films - The Producers, Mary Poppins, Dirty Dancing and Billy Eliot all began life on the silver screen. If the trend continues, perhaps we will soon see King Kong the Musical or Spiderman’s Song and Dance Show on the London stage. What about you? Which film would you like to see as a musical? Send your ideas and suggestions to chinaelt@bbc.co.uk or use the comments form at the top of the page. | 
