Ecole Okotoks Junior High School will be transporting audiences to middle earth with their latest show The Hobbit, following the adventures of everyone's favourite half-sized resident of the Shire, Bilbo Baggins. 

The Hobbit is the first performance in two years for the school and shows off the talents of young actors, painters, and costumers from grades seven to nine. All and all, around 26 students are pitching in to bring J.R.R Tolkien's legendary world to life on the OJHS stage. 

Playing the lead role of Bilbo Baggins and no stranger to the stage is grade nine student Avery Baggs. She is excited to return after such a long time away from the limelight. 

"I haven't done any productions for practically two years, so it is really weird to think like I'm gonna be playing this character that I've been working on for like five or six months in front of an audience again. It feels really good. I always like theatre and I like acting so it was kinda difficult to just not do that all the time."

This is a big step up from her role in the 2020 showing of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

"In grade seven I didn't have a big role. I was in the ensemble and I only had like four lines. It was really weird coming back and playing a much bigger role with a lot more lines."

14-year-old Grade 9 student Alex Perking was chosen to take on the role of the mighty Thorin Oakenshield.

“I'm enjoying getting back into acting. In grade seven I was one of the main characters in that production and I loved it. Then we had the COVID hit and like two years of no acting or anything so as soon this popped up I was talking to my parents like ‘I'm doing this! I really even care. I really loved grade seven and I'm doing it again.' I did get another main role and I'm enjoying it.” 

He jokes. “Although there are parts that I need to work on for sure.” 

The students up on The Hobbit on stage during a rehearsal Thorin Oakenshield played by 14-year-old Grade 9 student Alex Perking. In white is director Charmaine Ferguson.

The role of Gandalf was given to another grade 9 student Gemma Brown who didn't audition for the role originally but has taken a liking to the wise old wizard. 

"Actually, I auditioned to be the Elvin Queen Galadriel. They, I guess looked at my height and were like you would make a good Gandalf. They're also putting me on foot-long stilts so when I'm on my stilts I’m over 6’7." 

The stilts were a decision by director Charmaine Ferguson to make the rest of the cast, who are playing dwarves and hobbits, match the characters' stature as described in the books.

The Hobbit will run only 2 days for the general public but students at OJHS will be treated to a school matinee giving the cast a chance to perform for their peers. 

Shows will run Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults. Available at the front office or from cast members. Cash tickets will be available at the door if capacity allows.

They add, there will be a door prize to enter in if you come in a Hobbit-themed costume to be drawn on Saturday night.

More details can be found on their website.