Actor/director of "The Hobbit" reflects on dual roles: More like Gollum than Bilbo Baggins

Herbie Barnes as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit (Leif Norman)

Where have I been hiding the past month while here in Winnipeg , well I have been inside a hobbit hole not a nasty dirty wet hole not yet a dry bare sandy hole . No, I've been in the hobbit hole inhabited by Bilbo Baggins.

Yes I have been in the role of Mr. Baggins and as director, not an easy turn as Bilbo is on stage the whole time and as the director you have to watch the show. So, like Gollum I have been playing two roles in my head.

Luckily, I had people like Ron Jenkins helping me on this journey. Ron could easily have directed this play but instead he came in and took on the role of co-director, while I ran over and whispered in his ear.

"Move them down stage a little, no up stage.  All the time fighting myself, I think they should do that I need to be Bilbo but I need to direct. Ron is a great director let him direct but the show is mine, MINE!!!! OH MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS!!! We must fix it, fix what isn't broke!!!!"

Not the easiest of roles for Ron to take on and sometimes get lost with the voices in your head to tell you the truth. The actor in me was having lots of arguments with the director in me. Twice I nearly fired myself.  

All in all it has been a wild ride but a truly awesome time and mostly because I love this story or maybe because it is about a small little guy who fights everything and in the end wins and goes back home with just a little more gold then he started with.

Or maybe because with all the struggle it takes to put together the shows we do here at MTYP we find it important to fight because the people we tell our stories to are the most important audience.


Herbie Barnes
Actor and Director of The Hobbit