The battle between the past and the present rages on, clouding our judgment and leaving a vast majority of us stuck in a state of perpetual angst as the tradition we’ve fought for slips away from us. At the heart of Tolkien’s novel, which is awash with conflict, is this theme of new vs old. Often overshadowed by its heftier companion The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is more than a preamble and this production highlights its own merits as a piece of fantasy adventure that can tell us something about letting go.

It’s the battle between Thorin and Bilbo is most effecting in this production

Set in the realms of Middle Earth, humble hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Peter Howe) is summoned by sorcerer Gandalf (Christopher Robbie) to assist the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield (Andrew Coppin) in his quest to reclaim his throne as the King under the mountain. Accompanied by Thorin’s loyal followers and aided by Elrond (Kirk Barker) the troupe embark on the long journey to the Lonely Mountain. On the way Bilbo meets Gollum (Christopher Llewellyn) and steals the enchanted ring, which helps protect him and the rest of the group as they battle Goblins, spiders and Smaug the dragon.

It’s no easy feat to condense such a complex book to the stage, especially one so demanding in terms of visual effects. Vanessa Ford’s production certainly doesn’t seem haunted by the Hollywood success that now envelopes Tolkien’s work, and after two lines from Llewellyn you’ll soon forget about Andy Serkis’ mesmerising Gollum. With Smaug looking great and the fights up to par  the main problem with the piece is the sound design. With barely a moment where the irksomely 80s music halts the actors are swamped and sometimes inaudible. But the energy is high and under Roy Marsden’s direction the dancing and singing bring sole to Tolkien’s words. It’s the battle between Thorin and Bilbo that is most effecting in this production as Howe and Coppin get to great heights in their scenes together. It’s Thorin’s inability to let go of the past and give aid to the devastated folk of Laketown that is most revealing in terms of the patterns humans create for one another. His death bed apology to the wise hobbit is one we can envisage giving to the people of Iraq or Afghanistan when the West finally collapses.

Showing @Festival Theatre until 28 March