Arden Theatre Company presents J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, adapted by Greg Banks

The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins (Eliana Fabiyi), a contented and meek hobbit, as he joins a roguish band of dwarves on a quest to recover their former kingdom and treasure—now guarded jealously by a greedy dragon. Along the way, they encounter wolves, goblins, elves, eagles, humans, and Gollum. Each stop along their journey offers Bilbo new challenges and chances to uncover his own sense of courage and moral compass. As with many hero’s journeys, by the time he returns home, he is forever changed.

A fantastic company

As a whole, the company is fantastic. Fabiyi is somehow magnetically subdued as the titular hobbit, skillfully capturing the complexity of a newly courageous character wrestling with his own desires and what is right. The remaining four actors—Ciera Gardner, Nathan Alford-Tate, Kelly McCaughan, and Sean Lally—play all the other roles with remarkable range and precision.

Lally stands out, portraying Bilbo’s mentor Gandalf, the twisted Gollum, and a powerful Elf Queen—three roles that highlight his dynamic vocal range and physicality. McCaughan brings nuanced weight to the role of Thorin, the proud dwarf leader who must overcome grief and pride to become worthy of his people. Gardner delivers an appropriately menacing performance as Smaug, the final villain. Alford-Tate brings climactic urgency as Bard, the dwarves’ human ally. While each actor has standout moments, their true strength lies in how they form a cohesive, nimble ensemble throughout.

A theatrical transformation

These transformations are made possible by the excellent costume design by Nikki Delhomme. The ensemble’s color-coordinated base costumes morph cleverly into various creatures, characters, and even atmospheric elements. Sasha Jin Schwartz’s set, composed of twigs and planks, is simple yet endlessly adaptable—brought to life by Maria Shaplin’s beautiful and mood-shifting lighting. Jordan McCree’s sound design smartly avoids the sweeping, cinematic feel typical of Tolkien adaptations, instead grounding the story in something more intimate and theatrical.

In all, in this stage adaptation by Greg Banks, director Rebecca Wright has transformed the epic tale of Bilbo Baggins into something that feels perfectly at home on the Arden’s upstairs Arcadia stage. The show captures the thrill and scale of the original story without ever becoming too frightening for its young audience. Adults will appreciate the layered artistry and thoughtful staging, and that craft becomes even more apparent during the post-show Q&A that follows every performance.