[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of “Lord of The Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring-Extended Edition Part 1” written and performed by Riley Smith and produced by Von Spyder Productions at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023.
Am I a “Ringer?” A “Tolkienite” perhaps? I’m not sure what the correct term is but I am a fan. Of them all. During Covid I had the totally unnecessary excuse to sit and watch all the “Lord of The Rings” films in chronological order once again and would it be obtuse of me to say I was secretly loving the lockdown?
Riley Smith is obviously also a huge fan and probably has seen the films a few more times than even I, considering his word-for-word reenactment of the first 30 minutes or so of the very first of Sir Peter Jackson’s opus. I’m not sure that Mr Jackson is an actual Knight…but if anyone should be.
So this perfect Hollywood Fringe Festival play is just Riley on stage, wearing his hobbit outfit, taking us moment by moment, frame by literal frame, through the film. Beginning at the very beginning…the credits and as he mimics the New Line Cinema ladders whistling passed his head to form their signature logo, you can tell that this is no ordinary man and no ordinary retelling.
With the eager help of his audience cheering him on and joining in when he hums or la’s the gorgeous and heart-rending music, Riley Smith scurries across the stage playing every character, repeating every timeless line and tossing the ring about like nobody’s business. He is absolutely astonishing and I will be forever grateful that he reminded me I am not alone in my deep love of these wonderful films.
Sweaty and slightly burpy…I think he ate his second dinner a little too fast. Riley Smith mesmerized his audience and was rewarded not with eternal life and the power to vanish at will perhaps, but with something more valuable I think, raucous cheering and applause and true appreciation of his immense effort and the joy it brought us all.
“Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring-Extended Edition Part 1” has only two remaining performances and I urge you to make the time to see this utterly brilliant play!
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/9715?tab=tickets
When:
Wednesday, June 21 at 8:00 pm and Saturday, June 24 at Midnight
Where:
The Broadwater
1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA 90038