The three-hour musical is based on JRR Tolkien's fantasy novels

The �12.5m stage production of JRR Tolkien's fantasy trilogy had been taking group bookings up to December but will now end on 3 September.

The musical, directed by Britain's Matthew Warchus, received some harsh reviews when it opened in March.

The show, which runs for three hours and has a cast of 65, is set to open in London's West End next year.

A statement from the show's producers said more than 420,000 people will have seen the show at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre by the time it closes.

Awards

"We hugely appreciate the role the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario have played in bringing The Lord of the Rings to the stage," lead producer Kevin Wallace said.

Earlier this week, the show won seven Dora Mavor Moore Awards, which annually recognise achievement in Toronto theatre.

But critics said it was "dull" and "falls victim to its own hype" when it opened in March.

The show will begin previews at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London on 8 May 2007, replacing Mel Brooks' musical The Producers.