Erin Harrington reviews the Anthony Harper Summer Theatre production of The Lord of the Rings in 90 Minutes!, produced by Rollicking Entertainment, at the Archery Lawn, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Friday 9 January 2026.
Happy 2026, and happy first major production of the year: the Anthony Harper Summer Theatre production of The Lord of the Rings in 90 Minutes!, on the Archery Lawn at the Botanic Gardens. This irreverent show, presented by the same team who produced last year’s excellent The Complete Voyage of the RMS Titanic, sets a high bar for the year.
Creator / performers Darlene Mohekey, Lizzie Tollemache and Daniel Pengelly take on big, competing comic personas as they collaborate, undermine each other, and appeal to the audience, all while flicking between dozens of characters. Muso Criss Grueber, who is tucked behind a battlement with his keyboard, gives musical support, occasional comic asides and some nice bits of foley. Chris Reddington’s large, multi-levelled set offers dark mountain peaks and valleys, menacing towers, and Bilbo Baggins’ distinctive round door, all of which recall Tolkein’s style of illustration. There are lots of hiding places for various bits of well-designed and surprising props (care of Christy Lassen) and daft costumes.
This production has a similar structure to the Titanic show, as the three performers offer a hasty yet surprisingly thorough whip through Tolkein’s work. It helps that the series has been seared into the national public (and political and economic and artistic…) imagination. There’s lots of commentary about the books, and choices about what’s been kept, what’s been cut, and what’s been turned into an epic magical battle between two bearded buckets on poles (Saruman vs Gandalf, naturally). The plan: tell the story but don’t get sued, and hopefully persuade Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh to come watch the show. There’s even a picnic blanket reserved up the front.
It’s a very full evening: introductions, warm ups, song (lots of noughties bangers, Mohekey’s pipes in outstanding form), action sequences, rude jokes, family friendly jokes, good jokes, bad jokes, comedy costumes, a variety of inspired props, dance breaks (including some top Beyoncé / Bob Fosse choreo), a puppet show, big chase sequences, battles, deep cut trivia, vigorous competition between parts of the audience, a game of bingo (hotly contested), mixups and mishaps, some accidental bleed through from other fantasy series, and a very satisfying and aesthetically pleasing climax. The crowd work is slick – indicative of the team’s long history doing improvised comedy, variety and circus work. The action occasionally spills off the stage; one of the show’s highlights comes late in the piece as young audience members are invited to participate in an epic battle.
I particularly appreciate the way the site is managed as people come in. Groups are carefully and considerately guided to different sections of the lawn by site manager David Ladderman (who has a great cameo later on) in a way that makes them feel welcomed and special. It’s far better than the fractious, who dares wins free-for-all I’ve experienced at other outdoor shows. The technical elements are thoughtful too. Molloy’s sound design and technical work is very good, including the sound balance (often devilish outdoors). Where I sit right in the middle (within the picnic plankets of Team Elves, but near the higher seats of Team Race of Men) everything is clear and audible, even with a big music festival rumbling away like Mount Doom a bit further over in Hagley Park.
This is a hugely entertaining and well-produced show that pitches itself effectively at a wide range of audience members: older kids, adults, Tolkien newbies and hardened fans (some of whom, delightfully, have turned up in costume). If you’ve spent years shipping Frodo / Sam, you also won’t be disappointed. Afterwards, I overhear someone say ‘this is what happens when you get out of the way and let creatives get on with it’, so kudos to the Christchurch City Council events team, and to long-standing funders Anthony Harper, for offering ongoing support of summer theatre at a time of economic and social pressure, without interferening with the art. I’d advise people to arrive early, picnic and blankets in tow, as even 40 minutes before the show opened the plains of Middle-Earth were filling up. Highly recommended.
The Lord of the Rings in 90 Minutes! runs until Sunday 25 January, 2026. Koha is much appreciated; EFTPOS is available.
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