Lord of the Rings - BBC Radio 4 Dramatization

[Gwalchmei]

I appreciate that this is not directly to do with TOR but as a source of inspiration I just had to share my thoughts on the above.

Many years ago when I was a boy, I listened faithfully to this every Sunday afternoon.

I was browsing iTunes recently when I came across the recordings there for download.

I have just finished listening to the Fellowship of the Ring (all 4 hours or so of it) and it's fair to say that I have fallen in love with the production all over again.

I'm sure many have already had the pleasure of listening to this but for those who have not, I cannot recommend it enough. Whilst Peter Jackson's films are a very good adaptation for the medium of film, radio lets your imagination soar. And the voice acting is superb. The cast list reads like a who's who of British acting for that era (early 1980s IIRC): Ian Holm as Frodo; Sir Michael Horden as Gandalf; Sir Robert Stephens as Aragorn; Bill Nighy as Sam; the list goes on.

The excellent voice actors for Gollum and Boromir in the Bakshi animated films reprise their roles in this Radio serialisation. The actor playing Gollum is for me the definitive version. Andy Serkis' version emphasised the tragic aspect of Gollum, which was a perfectly valid approach, but I much prefer Peter Woodthorpe's version. Much, much more sinister ("He's a villain...")

Listen to Gimli too - not a hint of a Scottish accent which seems to have become something of a fantasy trope over time. The part where he asks for a single strand of Galadriel's hair to place in "imperishable crystal" had me filling up earlier today.

The script is far more faithful to the books and the accents more in keeping with my own interpretation (yours may vary of course).

The initial part set in The Shire is excellent as all the accents are very West country ("Ooo arrr, young 'un"). Love the way Strider himself has a subtle West country burr in his voice until revealed as Aragorn whereupon Robert Stephens goes into full-on Shakespearean mode. Brilliant.

Apologies for gushing, but it really is that good and I just had to share that. The vocabulary, diction and prose has already inspired me as a Loremaster in how I could portray NPCs in a more Tolkienesque way. Inspiring stuff generally in fact.

[Rich H]

Completely agree. It's an awesome dramatization that I regularly listen to.

[trystero]

I'll second that. This is the version I direct people to when they ask why I don't like the films: the total running time is about the same as that of the three "Extended Edition" film versions, but the radio adaptation is far more faithful to the source's characters, events, themes... and dialogue.

Just wait 'til you get to Samwise lifting up his voice in song in the Tower of Cirith Ungol: that's the scene that brings tears to my eyes every time. Amazing work by (a fairly young) Bill Nighy, though as you say the entire cast is great and almost every performance is definitive. (I still try to sound like Michael Hordern when playing Gandalf, or any Wizard for that matter.)

[jacksarge]

I loved listening to that as a teenager in the 80's and still think it's brilliant. Totally agree about Horden's Gandalf- just how he should sound. A great production, I wish those folk who have only seen the films could all listen to it, particularly TOR players - it is quality!

[poosticks7]

I totally agree. It's a must listen to - for all Tolkien fans.

[Gwalchmei]

I wonder whether it ever made its way across the pond?

Maybe some of our ex-colonial brethren and er.. sister-ren could help out on that point?

[Valarian]

I've got them on tape and have converted them to MP3 for use in the car. Nothing makes a long car journey pass quicker than 13 hours of the Lord of the Rings. Though I'm not sure my kids would agree

[trystero]

I don't know whether this adaptation was ever broadcast in the US, and Wikipedia sayeth not.

It is available in the US on CD, though sadly most current releases are a revised version, with the episodes edited together to form three long "books" (and superfluous new opening/closing bits written by Brian Sibley and performed by Ian Holm).

This is the cover of the revised version:


If you can find it, however, this is the version to get IMO, with 13 one-hour episodes (each with its own credits) and no added opening/closing bits:


To my knowledge, the original format (26 half-hour episodes) has never been issued on CD.

[Rich H]

That's the one I have. Mine also came with a bonus CD with numerous readings of sections of the book by Tolkien himself - about 40 minutes worth of content if I remember rightly.

[farinal]

Oh my god this is amazing stuff! Thank you for opening this thread!