Lord Of The Rings in Grand Canal Theatre

Nerdgasm alert! A little bit of Middle Earth has come to the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin as the RTÉ Concert Orchestra provides live accompaniment for a screening of Peter Jackson's first Lord Of The Rings movie.

And it's a stroke of genius! Having flesh and blood musicians recreate the soundtrack ratchets up the epic sweep of the film, adapted from the classic Tolkien trilogy. Hobbits merrily rove the Shire, the Eye of Sauron gazes down ominously from his seat in Mordor, the dastardly Nazgul hiss and skulk – all while the orchestra reprises Howard Shore's swooping score.

The music is loud but subtitles mean you can follow the action no matter how overpowering the cacophony from the pit. For fans of the movie, it adds an extra level of depth to their appreciation of a fantasy classic. Those who've never seen Lord Of The Rings before must be overwhelmed, in the best possible sense. Roll on 2012 and the second installment, The Two Towers.