Folks from the London MCM Expo write: WETA will be making an appearance at the upcoming London MCM Expo in the UK on the 27th & 28th May 2006, they will be showcasing their upcoming and current range of products to the European fans. This is a very rare appearance from the company its self rather than a licensee. Along with their appearance a lot more is happening with guests from film and TV, stage talks and much more. Updates will come when more comes clear, more information on the event can found at londonexpo.com

Hall of Fire this weekend focuses on Chapter 17 of the Silmarillion — The ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin. After a long, watchful peace, Morgoth smashes the leaguer of Angband that’s been maintained by the Noldor, unleashing orcs, Balrogs and an all-grown up Glaurung. Ard-Gelen is withered, Dorthonion is destroyed, the sons of Finarfin slain and the sons of Feanor scattered. Sauron takes Tol Sirion and uses it as a base from which to torment Beleriand. And the Noldorin high king Fingolfin rashly throws his life away in a suicidal challenge against Morgoth. In the midst of this tale of woe, is there any good news for the elves and human allies?

Here’s a couple of famous drawings of the confrontation between Morgoth and Fingolfin:

John Howe
Ted Nasmith

Time and date:
Saturday May 27

America:
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT

Europe:
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe

Asia-Pacific:
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington

Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!

Where?

Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.

To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.

Upcoming topics:

Over coming weeks we’ll be continuing chatting about the Silmarillion. Next chat – in two weeks time will be about the tale of Beren and Luthien.

The San Francisco Symphony will give the 100th performance of Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Symphony in July, according to organizers. The work, a concert adaptation of Shore’s scores for the three Lord of the Rings films, has proved enormously popular since its debut in Wellington, New Zealand in 2003. Nearly all of its performances, given by orchestras around the world, have sold out. Performances in Oslo and Bergen, Norway, last year drew crowds of 70,000 and 30,000, respectively. The six-movement, two-hour symphony is scored for orchestra, adult and children’s choirs, and soloists. At the San Francisco Symphony’s performances on July 14 and 15, Markus Huber, one of several conductors who have toured with the work, will be on the podium; soloists include soprano Kaitlyn Lusk. The event will also include projections of illustrations and storyboard sketches of the Lord of the Rings saga. [More]

Director Trevor Nunn is to pair his forthcoming Royal Shakespeare Company production of King Lear with a revival of Chekhov’s The Seagull, also for the RSC. The two productions, both cast with the same acting ensemble lead by Ian McKellen, will play in repertory at Stratford-upon-Avon’s new Courtyard Theatre from March 2007 before going on a world tour. McKellen will play the title role in King Lear, which will conclude the RSC’s year-long Complete Works Festival, and also appear as Sorin in The Seagull. [More]