‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Celebrates Seventh Anniversary, Extends London West End Run – Global Bulletin

Naman Ramachandran
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THEATER

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” the first Harry Potter story to be presented on stage and the eighth story in the series, celebrates its seventh anniversary at the Palace Theatre at London’s West End on July 30, where it is now booking to May 19, 2024.

In the play, 19 years after Harry, Ron, and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they’re back on a new adventure – this time, joined by a new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Spells, a race through time, and a battle to stop mysterious forces follow.

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The current London lead cast comprises Sam Crane (Harry Potter), Frances Grey (Ginny Potter), Thomas Grant (Albus Potter), Thomas Aldridge (Ron Weasley), Michelle Gayle (Hermione Granger), Grace Wylde (Rose Granger-Weasley), James Howard (Draco Malfoy) and Adam Wadsworth (Scorpius Malfoy).

Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is a two-part play by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music and arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe, and casting by Julia Horan CDG. It is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

The production has sold over six million tickets worldwide since its world premiere in London in July 2016 and holds 60 major honors, with nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best New Play. It has four productions running worldwide in London, New York, Hamburg and Tokyo.

SEASON

Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Nitin Sawhney will headline and curate the Journeys Festival, a five-day event that returns to London’s Royal Albert Hall following the festival’s sell-out debut in 2021. The season also features an exhibition by photographer Alan Compton and recitals from Indian classical musician Jasdeep Singh Degun and composer and vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

Sawhney’s concert on Oct. 20 featuring music from his upcoming album release, “Identity,” will be the centerpiece of the festival. The season, which celebrates diverse journeys and identity through music, art and discussion, is curated by Sawhney.

APPOINTMENT

Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford‘s “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+) outfit Merman Television has appointed Amanda Wasey as head of production, reporting into managing director Rebecca Parkinson. Wasey’s remit will cover the development and production of Merman’s upcoming shows, including the Season 2 of “Bad Sisters.” She joins from Sister Pictures, where she was production executive across scripted titles including “Passenger” (ITV/Britbox/All3Media), “Better” (BBC One) and “The Split” (BBC One).

ACQUISITIONS

The BBC has acquired all five seasons of hit American comedy-drama series “The Bold Type,” which follows the lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, three millennials who work in New York at the nation’s top women’s magazine, Scarlet. The series, loosely inspired by Joanna Coles, former editor-in-chief of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan, stars Katie Stevens (“Faking It”) , Aisha Dee (“Safe Home”), Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”), Sam Page (“Mad Men”), Matt Ward (“Arrow”), Melora Hardin (“The Office”) and Stephen Conrad Moore (“Empire”). All seasons (52 x 45’) will available on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.

Australian drama “Bad Behaviour” (4 x 55’) has also been acquired for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. It stars Jana McKinnon (“We Children from Bahnhof Zoo”) as 25-year-old ‘Jo’ Joanna Mackenzie who bumps into her old high school friend Alice Kang (“Halo”) and memories come flooding back of the brutal year they spent together at Silver Creek, the wilderness campus of an exclusive girls’ boarding school. Back then, they felt a close bond of friendship, until the manipulative Portia (Markella Kavenagh, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”) comes between them.

The shows were acquired for the BBC from NBCUniversal Global Distribution.

FESTIVALS

The DaVinci International Film Festival has revealed two additions to its 2023 schedule: Allan Ungar’s “Bandit” and Paolo Genovese’s “The First Day Of My Life.”

“The First Day Of My Life” is about “a mysterious man gifts four strangers on the brink of suicide a chance to see what life would be like without them,” according to the logline. It stars Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, and Margherita Buy. “Bandit” tells the story of a career criminal who assumes a new identity after escapring prison and going on a bank robbing spree.

“We are thrilled to showcase the theatrical hit films Bandit and The First Day Of My Life at DIFF ’23,” said founder/CEO Chadwick Pelletier. “Their inclusion to this year’s program truly takes our festival to new heights.”

FILM LAUNCHES

South Indian film stars Dhanush and Varun Tej have revealed their 51st and 14th projects respectively.

The Dhanush film is currently identified as “D51.” It will be directed by Sekhar Kammula (“Love Story”). It will be in released in multiple languages with support of veteran producer, distributor and exhibitor Narayan Das K. Narang, and will be produced by Suniel Narang and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao under their production house Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP (A Unit Of Asian Group), in association with Amigos Creations Pvt Ltd. Sonali Narang presents the movie.

Plot details have not been revealed save that Dhanush will be seen in a “never before seen avatar.”

Meanwhile, Varun Tej’s 14th film is titled “Matka,” directed by Karuna Kumar (“Palasa”), produced by Mohan Cherukuri (CVM) and Vijender Reddy Teegala of Vyra Entertainments. Matka is a form of gambling. The story which takes place between 1958-1982 is based on a real incident. Tej will be seen in four different avatars. The cast also includes Nora Fatehi, Meenakshi Chowdary, Naveen Chandra, Kannada Kishore, Ajay Ghosh, Mime Gopi, Roopalakshmi, Vijayrama Raju, Jagadeesh and Raj Thirandas.

The film will release in the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages.

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