Lords of the Ring Long is the way and hard is the road that leads to being a good and consistent member of the J. R. R. Tolkien fan club. You may also have to dress up as silly bearded magicians, and yes, I do realise I’ll be hunted down by a nasty orc for insinuating that Gandalf is merely a ”magician”.
Lords of the Ring, now showing at the Gilded Balloon, takes the form of two enthusiasts trying to wade their way through a lecture on Tolkien. there are of course, many mishaps along the way. The screwball antics include one of our hosts screaming “DID YOU FUCK MY WIFE?”, and a rather amusing gag featuring a baked potato. The two hosts are the traditional dumb and dumber variety, or rather geek and geekier. They are exceptional in that they never once fall put of character and are entirely convincing in their love for Tolkien.
The laughs here are more of the snigger variety than belly laughs, as the humour lies in the contempt and ridicule the hosts bear towards each other. Their act is supported by some hilarious video material and the opening battle between Sauron and Gandalf is not to be missed.
One to take the kids along to, then, if they like jokes about adultery and Queen.
2/5
Steven Carey
