Monash Theatre is the venue for the Australian premiere of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit" so begins The Hobbit written 60 years ago by a daydreaming professor of Anglo-Saxon Literature as he marked examination papers. Little did JRR Tolkien realise that what began as an absent-minded thought would soon grow into an enduring classic that has sold more than 35 million copies.

The Hobbit was first published in September of 1937 marking 1997 as the 60th anniversary of this strange little creature.

Over 50 years Tolkien lovingly created a world that would become to be known as Middle Earth. He established that fairy tales are not only for the young but the young at heart and that magic and fantasy does not begin and end in the playground. Elves, dwarves, dragons and of course hobbit's were no longer kid's stuff, they could have adult problems and adult lives. The genre that would come to be known as ''fantasy'' was given the break it needed when the break it needed when The Hobbit came to life.

As part of The Hobbit's 60th anniversary celebrations, Company Skylark and Anketell Theatrical Productions have joined forces to present a rare and magical stage production of The Hobbit at the Alexander Theatre Monash University commencing October.

This enchanting production, featuring more than 85 life-like puppets, is the perfect way to celebrate the legacy of a legendary author and the 60th birthday of a fuzzy little creature called a hobbit. Venue: Alexander Theatre Monash University, Clayton. Bookings: ph 9905 1111. Fax. 9905 1112. Email: [email protected]

-- By Peter Kemp
Australia Correspondent