# 381 – The Bywater Village Committee: an interview with Wētā Workshop’s Darren Ormandy

An episode of [The Prancing Pony Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1082170831), 27 Jul 2025, 2 h 03 min.

Audio: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/6bpBPtHL977KJxLX2zPs/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLSS6034786874.mp3?updated=1749429804

Alan and James sit down with fellow Tolkien-nerd and lead writer for Wētā Workshop's new game, Tales of the Shire. We discuss the depth of world-building by Tolkien and how to reflect that in a game set in the Shire, and celebrate the appearance of familiar names and places in the game. Darren tells us about an unbelievable meeting in Oxford, compares the Silmarillion to a dehydrated feast, and we all wonder about the lost company of Hobbit archers! Also, food is love, and we agree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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