'Lord of the Rings' stage musical criticised

The new stage adaptation of Lord of the Rings has been savaged by theatre critics.

The musical, which took four years to create, stays true to JRR Tolkien's fantasy tale. Tolkien relative Rachel Tolkien noted: "Everything to me that is the most important, and the most moving in the book, they've gotten on the stage. I think it's an amazing feat to have made The Lord of the Rings in three-and-a-half hours."

Brent Carver stars as Gandalf, with Michel Therriault as Gollum and Briton James Loye as Frodo.

However, many reviewers called the multi-million dollar show, which runs to over three hours, "dull" and a "victim [of] its own hype."

Others, such as New York Times critic Ben Brantley, wrote scathing reviews stating: "No-one emerges with head unmuddled, eyes unblurred or eardrums unrattled. Yet for all the technology, the show's look is often reminiscent of an arts and crafts fair."

The show is on at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto until early 2007.