Ivanhoe-born Cate Blanchett is a critically acclaimed, world-famous actress. Though she graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, it is less well-known that her passion for drama began here, in Melbourne. Decades later, Melbourne’s Collingwood Town Hall is hosting Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings, in celebration of the series that made Cate Blanchett a household name.
Blanchett joined her first drama workshop at 12. Her love for acting only grew from there, as she continued taking drama classes during her time at Methodist Ladies’ College. But Blanchett’s storied career almost ended before it even began—she originally started studying Fine Arts and Economics at the University of Melbourne and planned to work in international relations. It was only after a gap year travelling that she decided to begin training as an actress at NIDA.
Featured in all three of The Lord of The Rings films, Blanchett’s role as the ethereal elf, Galadriel, is still one of her most legendary film appearances. Fans will remember her emblematic narration in The Fellowship of The Ring, where Galadriel explains the creation of the One Ring; the memorable music which accompanies this scene will be played live to open the Candlelight concert.
9 January 2027 18:30 + more dates
Collingwood Town Hall
Journeys of friendship, love and farewell: the stories behind the 13 pieces
Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings is a concert of music from Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, played live by a local string quartet surrounded by thousands of glowing candles. Fever and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences co-present it for the films’ 25th anniversary, using a setlist and sheet music approved by the original writer of the score, Howard Shore.
The performance runs for about an hour, with each piece telling a section of the story. It begins with the history of the Ring in “Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All”, then returns to the Shire with “Concerning Hobbits”.
Friendship gets tested in “Amon Hen”, where Boromir defends Merry and Pippin, and in “The Breaking of the Fellowship”, when Frodo and Sam set off alone. Even love arrives on the scene with “Evenstar”, the music of Arwen and Aragorn.
Courage rides in with “The Riders of Rohan” and “The Ride of the Rohirrim”, and “The Return of the King” crowns Aragorn. Finally, the music of the strings bids the audience farewell, closing the night with “Into the West” and “The Grey Havens”.
Collingwood Town Hall, clock tower and all
Melbourne’s Collingwood Town Hall stands on Hoddle Street in Abbotsford. Designed by local architect George R. Johnson, who won the design competition, the building went up between 1885 and 1887. The town hall was originally built in the Second Empire style, with domed mansard roofs and a tall clock tower. It opened on 29 March 1887, getting an Art Deco makeover in the lobby and hall in 1938.
