The J.R.R. Tolkein-inspired show received its premiere at Toronto’s 2,000-seat Princess of Wales Theatre on March 23. Matthew Warchus’s three-act production follows the hugely successful film trilogy of the three-part novel, boasting a budget of $27 million (Canadian) and as many as 70 performers. Observers expected the musical to lead to international productions, probably starting with London in 2007 and arriving in the U.S, it’s thought, in 2008.

"It’s fair to say there are several projects being considered for Drury Lane and one of those is Lord of the Rings. There is, though, no immediate time scale," said the source. Speculation about Lloyd Webber’s interest in the show was prompted by the composer/impresario’s reported whirlwind visit to Toronto to see the musical recently.

Currently the 2,200-seat Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is host to Mel Brooks’s The Producers, which is booking until Jan. 6, 2007.