'Rings' musical too big for London

A musical version of The Lord of the Rings, which was to be the most expensive West End premiere ever, is to open in Canada instead because producers were unable to find a theatre big enough to stage it.

A musical version of The Lord of the Rings, which was to be the most expensive West End premiere ever, is to open in Canada instead because producers were unable to find a theatre big enough to stage it.

The £11.5m show, announced two years ago, was expected to open in London this spring, the 50th anniversary of the publication of J R R Tolkien's classic trilogy, and would have been the blockbuster of the year. But Kevin Wallace, its producer, said the world premiere would be in Toronto next spring.

He said: "The production has gone through a comprehensive creative process and it's ready to go." He hopes to bring a version to London before the end of 2006.

The director is Matthew Warchus, who directed the hit play Art and the Madness musical Our House . He co-wrote the book and lyrics. A R Rahman, the Bollywood composer who wrote the West End Bombay Dreams , is on the musical team.