It May not be Middle Earth – but Birmingham’s tourism bosses are hoping to cash in on Hobbit-mania with a new attraction devoted to author JRR Tolkien. Interest in the fantasy writer, who was raised in the city between 1895 and 1911, is expected to soar when the film version of his famous book hits cinema screens later this year. Scenery and architecture from Birmingham was reflected in his stories, most notably Perrott’s Folly and Edgbaston Waterworks, which are thought to be The Two Towers from Lord of the Rings.
But Birmingham has previously been accused of not making the most of its Tolkien links. Now a new gallery has opened at Sarehole Mill in Hall Green highlighting the author’s strong ties with the city with a series of displays and a short film. And a new tourism strategy hopes to build on the attraction with more publicity, a dedicated website, bids for heritage funding and conservation of Tolkien-related sites and buildings. Read More …
As we know Sir Ian McKellen is doing his wizardry around New Zealand doing what he does best, here’s an interview with him aired on TV3 telling us alittle about what to expect
Welcome to this months “Getting to know…” questions that need answering.
Julie and her daughter at Queenstown Feb 2012 Tour
It’s based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.
Today Justin and Cliff host our *Live* webcast, covering all the exciting happenings in the world of Tolkien fandom! We just hit Chicago this past weekend at the C2E2 show, where our staffers Corvar & Entmaiden stood before record crowds to give a presentation on THE HOBBIT films in a larger room! Also on the hit list, we are excited that our reporter Larry Curtis is embedded on THE HOBBIT set down in New Zealand. Needless to say, we have many surprises up our sleeves for the coming year! Come join the TORn TUESDAY chat show and be part of the mischief. As always, you can participate and present your questions to show hosts Justin Sewell and Clifford Broadway (Quickbeam) starting at 5:00pm PDT — There’s a built-in Barliman’s chat room or come in via Skype in TheOneRing.net’s Stickam page. Check out our LIVE Event section right here every week! [LIVE Event Area] (See All Times)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller just won the Olivier for Best Actor, which they share for their co-starring performance in Frankenstein where they swapped the roles of Dr. Frankenstein and the Creature. This is not the first time a Best Actor award has been bestowed upon their tandem performance, and only confirms the brilliance of this show. Luckily, for those of us who did not get to see the play, the National Theater will be broadcasting both performances at theaters all over the UK, USA and Canada for now, with other countries in the works. You can find out how to get a chance to see this broadcast at National Theater.
You can read all about the Olivier Awards and this win on their website at Olivier Awards. Benedict was unable to appear, he’s got a very busy schedule, but word has it that Johnny Lee Miller had a lovely acceptance speech. On behalf of TheOneRing.net, a really big congratulations to both actors.
The Tolkien Society is delighted to announce that Charlie Ross will be bringing a touch of comedic glamour to The Return of the Ring this summer with an exclusive performance of his show ‘One Man Lord of the Rings’.
Charlie Ross, also the star of ‘One Man Star Wars Trilogy’, will be bringing his internationally-acclaimed worldwide tour of ‘One Man LOTR’ to The Return of the Ring this August for an exclusive one-off show. The Return of the Ring takes place at Loughborough University, England on 16th-20th August 2012 with Charlie Ross’s ‘One Man LOTR’ taking place on the afternoon of Friday 17th. The Return of the Ring celebrates the forthcoming films and the 75th anniversary of the publication of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and is the follow-up to Tolkien 2005 that commemorated 50 years of The Lord of the Rings and which was recently described by Ring*Con founder Marcel Bülles as “probably the best Tolkien-related event in history“.
Charlie Ross adds to the already-exciting roster of guests that includes: authors and academics Tom Shippey, Verlyn Flieger, Brian Sibley, Colin Duriez, John Garth and Corey Olsen; artists Ted Nasmith and Jef Murray; directors of Born of Hope and The Hunt for Gollum Kate Madison and Chris Bouchard; and French Middle-earth re-enactment society The Company of the Green Dragon. To view all our guests, including Charlie Ross, please go to:
Shaun Gunner, Deputy Chairman of The Return of the Ring, said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled! We’ve been working with Charlie for weeks to make sure this happens – he’s so excited about doing this that he’s squeezed us into his busy schedule at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by flying from Edinburgh and back in the space of a day! I can’t wait to experience his act with the hundreds of other Tolkien fans that will be coming – having Charlie with us proves that The Return of the Ring isn’t just an academic event, but that it is a celebration and a convention in the broadest sense of the term.”
It May not be Middle Earth – but Birmingham’s tourism bosses are hoping to cash in on Hobbit-mania with a new attraction devoted to author JRR Tolkien. Interest in the fantasy writer, who was raised in the city between 1895 and 1911, is expected to soar when the film version of his famous book hits cinema screens later this year. Scenery and architecture from Birmingham was reflected in his stories, most notably Perrott’s Folly and Edgbaston Waterworks, which are thought to be The Two Towers from Lord of the Rings.
