100,000 characters.

Nine companions.

Three masterworks.

One man to do it all.

Canadian Charles Ross would appear a theatrical glutton for punishment - merely a year after his ultra-successful One Man Star Wars, the tireless trivia junkie now turns his hand at another legendary collection - Lord of the Rings.

Cramming as much detail from the Tolkien books and the Peter Jackson movies into a breakneck 75-minute opus, the actor brings a whole new angle to the tales of Middle Earth.

And Ross admits it is another daunting prospect.

He says: “When Star Wars turned out to be such a huge success I wondered whether or not the idea would hold across another franchise.

“I was a big fan of the Lord of the Rings films so that seemed a logical step.

“With the Star Wars show I really had to work hard to sell the idea to people as on paper it sounds so silly.

“In actual fact it is a bit silly, but it is also good fun and people really seem to buy into it.”

Ross actually first wrote the script way back in 2004, but legal issues prevented him from bringing it to the stage until 2009.

And he admits that delay made him even more determined to succeed.

Ross adds: “It is not really the type of quote you put on a poster - ‘delayed for five years’ - but it has been a bit of a spur.

“There is no doubt this is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done.

“I play all the characters, changing my body shape and voice, and it is a lot of work.

“I suppose it would be best to describe it as a cross between observational comedy and mimicry.”

The show has proved an instant hit, lighting up last year’s Edinburgh Festival and even getting a hearty blessing from Gandalf himself, Sir Ian McKellen.

And Ross reckons he has even sated that most demanding of crowds - the fans.

He concludes: “This show is for geeks in a way, but as I consider myself a geek as well I am not looking down on anyone.

“The show is evolving as the original script was done purely from my memory of the films - I did not rewatch them.

“I have had people come up to me after the show and say this was wrong, that wasn’t right and I just agree with them and change it - there isn’t much they can say when I agree with them!”

One Man Lord of the Rings, Epsom Playhouse, Feb 23, 8pm, £16.50, 01372 742555