Theater Review: CCTC/HJT’s ‘Hobbit’ An Innovative Take On The Tolkien Classic

Patricia Gray’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's “The Hobbit,” now on stage at the Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre, is a revamped version of the fantasy, one that both elementary and middle school age children can enjoy with their parents. 

The play opens in a modern-day world where Beau, a young boy, is bullied at school and then retreats to his room. There his Granna, mother and father find him and implore him to hear a story. Granna begins to read “The Hobbit.” Beau is captivated. And soon the audience sees Beau become Bilbo, the hobbit who is prodded by a wizard named Gandalf to help a group of dwarfs in Middle Earth destroy a dragon named Smaug. Bilbo, the funny little robber/hobbit, reluctantly joins the dwarfs on the adventure. 

The dwarfs (Celia Gaska, Quinn Martin, Shiloh Pabst, and Rebecca Reyes), led by Thorin (Stevie Carter), are happy to have Bilbo (Adam Leavitt) join the group with Gandalf (Nancy R. Flynn) advising them. First up they run into some nasty trolls, then some elves, have an encounter with the creature Gollum and his magic ring, and eventually confront Smaug the dragon. The talented duo of Anna Botsford and Jon Cornet play multiple roles beginning with Beau’s mother and father. Botsford is a troll, a goblin and an excellent Elf Queen, and Cornet is a troll, the Grand Goblin and an Elf guard. Nancy Flynn’s Granna naturally flows into the wise wizard Gandalf, and Sam Sewell’s Gollum is fantastically slithery. Seamus Sartin emotes Smaug with some cool special effects. He’s scary, but not too scary. 

The action is conveyed innovatively and the cast projects all the elements of the Hobbit’s adventure thanks to the superb direction of Andy Arde-Reese and the creative set and lighting designed by Michael Reese. Completing the picture is sound design by Arden-Reese and Matthew Kohler, with great costumes by Emily Diamond with an assist from Laik O’Reilly. Aiden Langhorner on the lightboard and Alex Ingraham on the soundboard hit all their cues. 

It’s a fun and different production of the story and thoroughly enjoyable. At just about an hour-and-a-half with no intermission, it’s a great family outing. Plan to stay for the meet-and-greet on the deck with all the performers.