#cast 3

[karl-jenkins]

Things I love about: Joe Idris-Roberts as Albus Potter

Joe’s acting is so layered and nuanced, and I've absolutely fallen in love with his Albus during the six months that I've been seeing the show regularly. I wanted a place to put into writing some of the little touches and choices that I've loved most about his Albus.

-        When Albus says “I stayed for your sweets,” he turns it into his own little song, elongating the “swee-eets” and it’s the sweetest thing. Scorpius always seems so relieved that he hasn’t messed up by singing his little song.

-        In the blanket scene, Albus is so full of hope that the blanket truly is lucky and that it’s going to be the answer to his problems. When he holds the blanket (often copying the way that Harry held it), his hope very quickly turns into disappointment and frustration.

-        Another thing he has started to do in the blanket scene is put his feet up on the bed with his legs over the blanket to show how little it means to him. Jamie’s Harry is clearly very distressed by this and reaches out as if he wants to say something or move him off.

-        After Delphi kisses him, his reactions are so cute. Sometimes he would write things on the floor with his foot, sometimes he would do a little dance. He always has this dreamy little look on his face and is every bit the lovestruck teenager with a crush.

-        In the first alternate reality when Ron gives Albus the quills, Joe opens the box full of anticipation, sometimes closing his eyes and craning his head away, clearly expecting some kind of practical joke.

-        During the Station Master scene, he would stand slightly behind Martin and shrug at Scorpius, miming that he has no idea what he’s talking about. But, whenever Martin would look at him, he’d nod seriously and act as if Scorpius was being dim by not understanding.

-        The hug on the staircase at the end – Joe rests his head down on top of Scorpius’ for a moment before pulling away in what I can only describe as gay panic. I always read that moment as “hugging my friend is not supposed to feel like that” and I feel like it hints at the beginning of Albus realising his feelings for Scorpius.

-        He changes things up slightly when Tom Peters is playing Harry. Tom’s Harry is much more reserved and seems like he doesn’t know how to show affection. The moment they say goodbye on Platform 9 ¾ is painfully awkward. I’ve seen them do an awkward wave to each other and on Tom’s last show as Harry, Joe offered his hand for Tom to shake.

-        Again, specifically for Tom’s Harry, Joe changes up the way he says Harry is coming up for “a walk”. He does an impression of Tom’s Harry – same body language, same brusque tone of voice and it made me laugh so much. It was such a beautifully observed little touch.

-        When he’s about to do magic, he rubs his wand on his sleeve first, a little habit of Albus’ as if he thinks his wand will work better that way. When I spoke to him about this at stage door he told me that the wand is an instrument that channels his magic and it made sense to him that you would need to charge it up to make it work. He also told me that he holds his wand so that it always comes into contact with the vein on his wrist that’s direct to the heart.

-        He fits the descriptions that other characters use about Albus so well. His dry humour is perfect, and you can also see how his teachers would see him as surly, uncooperative and isolating himself.

-        He’s so emotionally closed up around Harry, tense and awkward but shows his vulnerable side to Ginny and Scorpius. Around Harry and James, humour doesn’t land well with him but with Scorpius, humour seems to come naturally and it’s a brilliant contrast.

-        You couldn’t really imagine two people more different than his Albus and Scorpius – he’s reserved, stubborn, closed off whereas Scorpius is dorky and awkward and endearing. And yet they balance each other out and have a beautifully played friendship based on mutual respect.

-        His performance is never one-note. While the basis of Albus may stay the same, Joe is always experimenting. Trying things out, seeing what lands, and he feeds so well off the energy from the audience. I feel like he really understands Albus and he has put so much time, effort and research into his performance.

The first couple of times I saw the play, I wasn’t bothered about Albus that much. I was so enchanted by dorky, sweet Scorpius that I didn’t give Albus as much consideration as I should have. Seeing Joe play Albus has ignited in me a deep love, understanding and appreciation for him as a character. He reminds me of myself as a teenager and the rocky relationship I had with my own dad. Both reaching out in our own way but missing the mark. Because of him, Albus has grown to be one of my favourite characters of all time and I’m so excited to see other people take on the role and show me their unique interpretations. Of all the people leaving the cast on the 19th, Joe will definitely be one of the people I will miss most but I am so excited to see where his career will go from here and I am so grateful to have been lucky enough to see him play Albus over twenty times.

[istartedbelievinginitmyself]

Cursed child year 3 review

I don’t know if anyone cares or even reads these anymore, but I thought why not.

On Saturday the 4th May I saw Harry Potter and the cursed child in London for the second time ever (yeah I know I’m late posting this 😂) I missed this play so much since I last saw it in 2017 and it was 100% worth the trip. This play is just so amazing and never fails to amaze me.

The first time I saw the play the original London cast still played and it was really something special to watch them. So I was excited to see a different cast for the first time as I’m just very used to the original one.

This time I saw the 3rd year cast and thought I give a little review about this cast too and compare their interpretations with the ones of the original cast I saw the first time.

This time I knew what to expect, but the stage affects still managed to totally blow me away (AGAIN). I don’t know how they do it, the whole play is so beautifully choreographed and designed. It’s just magical. No wonder they won so many Olivier and Tony Awards. The production value of this play is simply superb. I know I should be over this, but as it’s my second time seeing the show after a long time in person, it still got me again.

I still love this story so much and it’s just so beautifully written. The script really shines when it’s performed on stage and gives the script a whole other dimension. Although the entire play is over 5 hours long (which is quite some time sitting in a theatre), I was hooked the entire time and there wasn’t even one minute I was bored (I know, no surprise considering how much I love it).

As good as the play may be the experience is still very dependent on the cast. Without a good cast not even a good script and good special effects can save the story. So I will move on to one of the most important parts of cursed child: the actors.

Overall the year 3 cast is really great. As a whole I wasn’t into this cast as much as I was into the original one due to some things I will explain below, but I think they did an amazing job and told the story very well. All of them are great actors and totally deserve to be in this play. Individually a lot were really extraordinary and as good or even better than the first cast I saw, but in comparison to the original cast their interpretations didn’t perfectly blend together as well, which isn’t any of their faults. I hope in year 4 cast this gets better as the actors I thought fitted together very well will stay and some of the other actors will go.

Harry Potter - Jamie Ballard

I really loved Jamie Ballard as Harry. He had one of the hardest jobs as Jamie Parker is one of my favorite original cast members, but he did really great. At fists in act one I needed some time to get used to him (as he looks and talks very differently from Parker) and he was a bit stiff at the start (and the pacing was a little bit off). In the blanket scene I felt he could do more (as it’s my favorite scene from Jamie Parker) and I wasn’t really sure what to think of him after act one (although his Scorpius was amazing, he nailed imitating Jonathan).

But then act 2 happened and he really stepped up his game. In the last three Acts he was simply amazing and I got more used to his Harry and how different he is from Jamie Parker. Ballard isn’t as emotional/loud and as hot headed, but I really enjoyed his more softer but still emotional take on the role. As much as I love Parker he tended to be very rough at times and Ballard’s softer approach worked really great and was a new breath of air. He made Harry his own and didn’t just copy the actors before him. After act 2 I was 100% sold and in love with his Harry. He isn’t as much book Harry as Jamie Parker is (he is just the most perfect book Harry adaptation ever), but his own version of Harry worked really great in the play and made Harry very sympathetic and lovable. That’s why theatre is so great, it gives us many different interpretations of one character and let us see the same character in a different light.

Albus Potter - Joe Idris-Roberts

I really liked Joe as Albus. He wasn’t one of my favorites from this cast, but he was good. Some parts worked really well with him especially Albus‘ more calm and dry moments (he gets Albus‘ dry humor spot on). His Albus is more collected and logical than Sam Clemmett‘s and his leader qualities really shine through.

Sadly the more emotional scenes didn’t work as well for him. The blanket scene could have been more emotional from him and especially the library scene lacked something. In this scene Albus really has to be sorry and understand Scorpius better. It’s a very emotional scene and Jonathan really gave it his all. Joe‘s restrained reaction did fit to his interpretation of Albus but not really to Jonathan‘s Scorpius or the atmosphere of the scene.

His chemistry with Jamie Ballard was fine and you could feel that they mean a lot to each other although there could have been a little bit more from Joe‘s side too.

Sam didn’t show Albus as much as a leader, but his emotional scenes were always spot on. Personally I see Albus more as a hot headed emotional character that makes decisions without thinking about it properly. He is much like Harry in this regard and I missed that from Joe‘s Albus. His more calm version of Albus is totally legit and he is a great actor (and I know many people love his Albus ❤️, which is great and what is the reason why so many different versions should exist),but personally as a fan of emotional (and super angsty) Albus I wasn’t 100% sold with his interpretation. I‘m happy to have seen his Albus, but it doesn’t perfectly match with the Albus I imagined while reading the script.

Scorpius Malfoy - Jonathan Case

Oh boy...where do I start with Jonathan. His Scorpius is absolute perfection. He is such an amazing actor and this is exactly how I imagined Scorpius to be like. As much as I love Anthony’s Scorpius he was never 100% how I imagined him while reading the script (which is not a bad thing!), but Jonathan is just perfect. He was the most adorable thing I have ever seen on a stage. Where can I sign up to adopt his Scorpius??? (Sorry Draco 😉).

Jonathan played Scorpius a lot more shy and unsure with a lot of anxiety. Anthony was louder and more sure of himself. Jonathan on the other hand is a complete mess and as socially awkward as I am (he is very relatable). He wasn’t as funny as Anthony, but still hilarious. His Scorpius is just so adorable and lovable and I really can’t understand how anyone in Hogwarts can bully him.

His emotional scenes were spot on. The library scene was amazing as was the office scene with Draco in the dark AU. He was one of the strongest actors in the play and he made every scene he was in was in 100% better.

His chemistry with Joe was good although as I said above I missed a little bit from Joe‘s side. The Scorbus hug at the end was everything though. My Scorbus heart was more than delighted 😁.

With him and Anthony they casted two extremely talented actors and there is a reason Scorpius was the audience favourite in both shows I saw. As actors they are both equally talented, but I think Jonathan was more my personal Scorpius, which is absolutely subjective. I love both of them so much, please don’t make me choose. So happy Jonathan will also be in the year 4 cast.

Hermione Granger - Franc Ashman

I have no doubt Franc is a great actress, but to be honest she was one of the weakest points about the year 3 cast. She just wasn’t Hermione to me. It was something about her voice and here lack of authority. Noma had an absolute authority on stage, her being minister for magic was totally believable. Franc tried to play her more playful, which I appreciated as a new interpretation. She tried something very different and I appreciate her for that. This new Hermione just really didn’t work for me personally, which again is super subjective and not a bad thing about her Hermione. She is someone else’s Hermione, just not mine.

Act one was really not my thing, but the first AU in act two was worse for me. I think Franc went for Hermione slowly losing her mind about being so frustrated over Ron, but she took it a bit too far for my taste. I prefer Noma‘s more subtle interpretation. Sure Hermione is bitter in the AU, but I don’t see her that extreme. Of course this is also a subjective matter, but it really didn’t work for me at all.

Franc got a lot better in act 3 and 4 though. I really liked the remarry scene with Ron, it was a very sweet moment and she gained more authority on stage towards the end. She still wasn’t my favorite Hermione, but her performance was more enjoyable especially in the last act.

I think she is a good actress and there is nothing obviously wrong with her performance, just sometimes actors don’t agree with how you see a character and for some reason her Hermione just really didn’t work for me. I do appreciate her different take on Hermione though and I know that some people really love her Hermione and found their Hermione in her.

Ron Weasley - Thomas Aldridge

I simply loved Thomas. I didn’t think anyone could be funnier than Paul, but Thomas actually managed to pull it off. The office blocking scene was just simply hilarious and the whole theatre was in tears afterwards from so much laughing. I think Paul did the serious moments a little bit better, but honestly they are both just amazing and both do their own thing. I couldn’t even tell who I prefer. They are both just perfect and so lovable as Ron.

Thomas did the AU very well and seeing him that unhappy was sort of heart breaking. I missed a little bit of chemistry between him and Franc as Paul and Noma had such great chemistry together, but this could also be very subjective as I wasn’t the biggest fan of Franc and I may be a little bit biased here. The remarriage scene was very sweet though. With Thomas going on one knee to propose again. And I liked their kiss before the Dementors suck out their soul.

In conclusion I just love Thomas as Ron, he was amazing and I‘m very happy to have seen him live. It’s great he is staying for another year.

Draco Malfoy - James Howard

At first I wasn’t too sure of how I would like James as Draco as he is very Lucius Malfoy like, but I actually really loved it. He is very different from Alex as he was very rough and made his own thing very different from the book Malfoys (which was one of the reasons I loved him so much), but James‘ more book Malfoy interpretation worked as well and was even closer to canon. He looked very elegant and definetly more like a Malfoy and at the beginning he seemed very arrogant like it’s Malfoy fashion. He was less of a brat (Alex was a very nasty brat at the beginning), but more arrogant and above other people similar to Lucius. It worked really great with how the Malfoy family appears in the books.

As the play progresses we see that this behavior is rather a facade and see the real Draco. And James nailed this. His scenes where he talks about Astoria were absolutely heart breaking and I don’t see how any Draco hater can get out of this play and not think that Draco was redeemed. He was softer than Alex and I really liked that. He wasn’t as funny, but the fight between Draco and Harry was still very enjoyable and funny.

I think James had great chemistry with Jonathan and Jamie and it all worked really great together. The hug between James and Jonathan at the end was just so adorable. You could feel how much Draco and Scorpius mean to each other. I actually ended up shipping Drarry a lot after the show although I‘m usually not that big of a Drarry fan. But James‘ and Jamie‘s chemistry was really good especially in the scene in Harry‘s office in act 4. You could feel how these two dads were bonding over their love for their kids.

James is a great Draco and there is a reason he is around since the original cast in 2016 (where he was Alex‘ understudy). He made Draco his own and I‘m happy they made him main cast and that he will stay for another year. Sign me up at the James Fanclub 😂

Ginny Potter - Susie Trayling

To be totally honest I didn’t enjoy Susie‘s Ginny too much. She wasn’t bad and she is a solid actress, but she sadly didn’t do much with her role. I was never a big Ginny stan especially after the movies (I know I missed out on a great character),but Poppy made me fall in love with book Ginny. Her Ginny was fierce and full of fire, but also a soft and understanding mother and wife. She was Harry‘s rock to feel safe. Susie was very soft and she got the motherly part down quite well, but her Ginny was just too motherly and not enough fierce and interesting. She reminded me more of movie Ginny than book Ginny (which again I think some people could really love if they didn’t like Poppy as Ginny). The fire and the fierceness were missing at least in my opinion (which again is very subjective). She did have great moments and book Ginny did shine through now and then, but not often enough to really get me interested in Ginny as a character.

The chemistry between her and Jamie was alright, but because of her lack of emotion it never got more than that.

I think Jamie was really trying in the church scene and it’s my favorite Hinny moment in the play, but she just didn’t give him enough back to make the scene really great. From the backstage videos I saw they can have great chemistry off stage (at least it seemed to me like that) so I think it’s rather a problem with her interpretation of Ginny and her choice to play her so calm. The good thing that did work though was the comparison Harry made between Albus and Ginny at the end. Susie‘s Ginny and Joe’s Albus were quite similar in how calm and collected they behaved. This comparison worked very well in this version of the play. Maybe she just had a bad day or I just can’t warm up to her interpretation. Don’t get me wrong she wasn’t bad, her acting was solid and good, she just didn’t do more than that. Again subjective (please don’t hate me 🙏🏻).

Rose Granger-Weasley - Helen Aluko

Rose doesn’t have such a big role in the play, but Helen is really good as Rose. Her Rose is more adorable and less bossy. I could see her very well as a young version of Hermione in something. She made Rose bossy but although sympathetic at the same time. She had good chemistry with everyone.

I really liked her, she is a good actress and I‘m happy I saw her.

Severus Snape - David Annen

Snape doesn’t have a big role, but as he is my favorite character from the books the Snape scenes are really important to me. I adore David‘s Snape. He is everything I ever wanted from a book Snape adaptation. He is super sassy and mean, but still funny and serious. The patronus scene was beautiful and he nailed how I would imagine an older version of book Snape to be like. I liked him more than Paul, he did more his own thing whereas Paul tried to copy Alan Rickman a bit more.

David was also really great as Vernon Dursley (the scene was hilarious) and he was terrifying as Voldemort/ Harry as Voldemort. He had to play these very different characters and he nailed all of them.

David is my favorite adapted version of Snape and I‘m very grateful I could see him live in this role. As a big Snape fan this meant a lot.

Eva - Delphi Diggory

At the beginning I really liked her Delphi. She was especially lovely at the beginning making the reveal much more drastic. She had good chemistry with Joe and I actually really liked her „good“ version of Delphi, it’s a pitty it all was just pretense and this version actually doesn’t exist.

Her evil version of Delphi was a bit too much for me though. She had some great moments where she was threatening, but in a lot of scenes she went for Delphi totally losing her mind. I think she tried to make Delphi a bit like Bellatrix being totally mental. I prefer Delphi to be more serious as it’s more threatening and easier to take serious.

She did a great job though and she made it very believable for Albus to fall for her as her Delphi was very lovable at the beginning.

The supporting cast

The entire cast was pretty good. I really preferred Umbrigde and Bane this time and Hagrid and McGonagall (who was an understudy) were great too. No complains here. I would go more into detail, but this review is already longer than anticipated, so I just leave it as that.

Conclusion

I had a wonderful time seeing this play again and I was once again reminded why it’s my favorite play. It’s such a beautiful story and production and I can’t put into words how grateful I am I could see this play again. I think I can see this play a thousand times and it never gets boring. The worst thing is after seeing it it just leaves you wanting to see it again.

If you have a chance I can’t recommend this play enough. I know it’s very expensive and doesn’t play in a lot of countries, but if you can go: DO IT!!! It’s worth it. If you go in London, I think the year 3 cast is really good (now year 4 cast, but a lot of great people stayed, so!) and I totally recommend watching them. Soon (there already was 🙈) there will be cast change, but Jonathan, James, Jamie, Susie and Thomas are staying for another year and the new actors looked lovely. London is a beautiful city with a lot of great theatre (seriously watch Everybody’s talking about Jamie, it’s amazing), so that’s also a plus.

[kindtothetipsofyourfingers]

Source: https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumnpics.cfm?colid=1835200&photoid=872318

AAHHHHHH!!!! New photos!!! Love them! <3

[torestoreamends]

Just saw your recap about Joe at Pinocchio. I didn't dislike him but I saw it before the cast announcement so it was good to read your recap. I agree though that he has all the training in place already. Flying, jumping off things etc. I'm interested to see how the Blue Fairy (is that the name?) Will be as Umbridge/Petunia since her character in that show is so different than CC will be for her!

Omg anon! I didn’t even realise she’d been cast in CC! Thank you so much for pointing this out. (You see people? Grain of salt. I’m an idiot.)

I don’t know if I have an answer to this beyond *mind blown*, but I think that’ll be super interesting and fun! Obviously she’s such a good character in this (I spent the whole show going ‘Astoria?’ as well, which didn’t help), and then Petunia/Umbridge is something completely different. But I’m confident that she’ll do a really good job. She’s very professional and competent, as you’d probably expect. I’ll be particularly interested to see what she brings to Petunia, because I think pitching that character is a lot harder than pitching Umbridge (I’ve never seen an Umbridge that didn’t nail the character — sickly sweet, poisonous evil — but I have seen Petunias that I didn’t really connect with), but yeah. She was great! I loved the illusions she was part of (her ‘appearing from nowhere’ illusions were absolutely breathtaking, and actually some of my favourite), and her singing voice was beautiful.

Thank you anon for pointing this casting out to me! So cool. So interesting. I hope you have an awesome day. I’m ready to spend the rest of mine (and it’s only 8:30am) thinking about this.

[karl-jenkins]

Things I love about: Jordan Bamford as Scorpius Malfoy

Jordan is the first cover Scorpius for London cast 3 and I’ve been lucky enough to see him seven times. He has become my favourite Scorpius and brought so many delightful touches and facets to Scorpius that have made me love him as a character even more. The keywords that come to mind when I think of Jordan as Scorpius are: endearing, excitable, sweet and brave.

 -        From the moment Albus meets Scorpius on the train, you love him instantly. His voice is soft and sweet, he is socially awkward in the most endearing way. He shakes Albus’ hand a bit too enthusiastically for a little too long, you can definitely see that he hasn’t been around children his own age very much and desperately wants to make friends. When he says he’d rather be a Malfoy than “the son of the Dark Lord” he growls and holds his hands like claws. He is just so likeable and the definition of “adorkable”.

-        During the flying class scene he is utterly delighted when his broomstick rises until he notices Albus’ is still on the ground. He forgets his own triumph immediately and moves to Albus’ side to reassure him and tell him not to listen to the teasing from the other kids. Right from the start he is a loyal, supportive friend.

-        The scene in which he tells Albus that Astoria’s illness has got “the worst it could possibly get” is heartbreaking. He is so quiet and subdued, and his voice breaks as he wipes away tears, he can’t even look at Albus until he asks him to come to the funeral.  He blurts this out as if worried that Albus will say no. Joe works perfectly with him in this scene, his Albus is so sincere and supportive and desperately wants to do anything that will help his friend.

-        On the Hogwarts Express when Albus asks about the Triwizard tournament, he’s so excited to be able to share his knowledge. When called a geek he gasps and gushes “I thank you” as if it’s the best compliment he’s ever received. When Albus wants to climb up onto the train roof, he tries to stop him by sitting down on the trunks to block his way up. Once Albus pulls him away and climbs up, he is so frustrated that he stamps his feet and shakes his fists as if he can’t quite believe what Albus is getting them into, but he still knows he will follow because he’s his best friend, however frustrating, and he won’t let him do it alone.

-        When the trolley witch spikes extend, Jordan shuffles right back into Albus’ lap in fear. Joe wraps his arms around him, Jordan holds his hands in front of his chest and they cling onto each other for dear life. This is one of the many times we see that Scorpius’ instinct when he is sad or scared is to go to Albus for comfort and physical reassurance.

-        In St. Oswald’s, Scorpius is so out of his comfort zone. He doesn’t quite know where to look, everything makes him jump. Once again, he goes to Albus for reassurance, holding onto his arm and staying as close to his side as possible. When Amos takes his wand out, he says “come on mate” with his arms fully wrapped around Albus as he tries to drag him away, out of danger.

-        When Albus and Delphi are practicing Expelliarmus, he looks so sad and conflicted as he watches on from the background. He likes to see Albus looking happy but he’s also feeling a little jealous and left out. After Delphi kisses Albus and then turns to leave, he fumbles with his Durmstrang robes, dropping them and having to quickly catch them and bundle them back up in his arms. As Delphi comes near, he offers her his cheek as if expecting a kiss too which she obviously ignores. He is so awkward around her and gets flustered and you can’t help but feel a little embarrassed for him. But, it really makes you feel for him and love him all the more.

-        He’s so funny in the dragon task scene. He speaks to Albus and gestures with his hands as if he’s trying to plan what he will say. This turns out to be “Krum, Krum, you’re the one!” when Krum’s name is announced as Durmstrang Champion.

-        His library scene is so intense. He’s usually so sweet and softly spoken that the sudden rush of anger is such a shock and has given me goosebumps every time. When he’d say “so Sad” he would get this hard, sarcastic edge to his voice and sounded completely different to his usual self. He would get right up in Albus’ face, to the point that sometimes Joe would back away from him fearfully. When he talked about Astoria still being dead in this new alternate reality I’ve seen him do it a couple of different ways – either so sad that his voice breaks or so angry that he can’t contain himself. I’ve seen him slam his hand down on the table and throw the time turner bag down onto it in his frustration. After he’s got everything off his chest, he clutches his hands over his face and just cries which I read as him being overwhelmed by his mixed feelings of anger, sadness and relief that his pent-up frustration has finally been aired. Also, as he usually goes to Albus for physical reassurance, but he can’t do that when it’s Albus that has caused him pain, he ends up clinging onto himself like he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

-        In Myrtle’s bathroom, he is so proud of himself for the “engorgimpressed” line. When Myrtle leans close to him to say that she likes brave boys, he leans so far back in surprise that it looks like he might fall back out of the sink.

-        After he emerges from the lake and the dementors appear, his instinct is to cover his mouth. He’s just found himself in a completely different world to the one he expected; his best friend doesn’t exist, the darkest wizard in history is alive and he’s all alone and yet he keeps his head enough to cover his mouth when he sees a Dementor. For me, this self-preservation instinct is so very Slytherin and gives a good insight into how well he’ll be able to blend in and survive in this world.

-        In the dark AU with Draco in the Head of Magical Law Enforcement office what struck me was that he is so brave. After his initial shock to find his dad there and that his dad insists on being called sir, he becomes furious that his dad might be involved in killing muggles. He gets right up close to Draco, shouting and pointing in his face, incredibly brave considering this is not his Draco and this world could hold serious consequences for him. I’ve always found the fact that Scorpius only does the full Voldemort and Valour for Draco meaningful, but I’ve seen Jordan do it very slowly, full of significance which made that moment even more memorable for me by really highlighting the fact that that’s the only time he does it properly. On Sunday (12th May 2019), after leaving Draco’s office, he clutched his hands over his face and burst into tears, like he did after the library argument with Albus. Again, he doesn’t know what to do with all his conflicting feelings and Albus isn’t there to support and help him.

-        When he arrives in the library, he is frantic and desperate, feverishly searching for answers so that he can try to find out why this version of events came to be and how he can try to fix it. Scorpius is so sweet and endearing, it’s almost impossible to imagine him as the Scorpion King. Seeing Craig cower away from him is especially jarring when you’re so enchanted by this sweet boy.

-        When he asks Snape if he’s undercover now, he realises what he’s said and claps his hands over his mouth as if he wishes he could force the words back in. Snape feels like the answer to his problems and for a second he’s so excited that he gets a bit carried away and thinks before he speaks before remembering what a dangerous situation he’s in.

-        His lake scene is so funny that he’s got applause every time I’ve seen it. His voice becomes screechy with excitement, he loses all his composure in his pure delight. When he sees Harry, he screams, high pitched and unable to contain his excitement and relief to see him again. When he sees Draco and says, “and Dad,” he suddenly becomes much more composed – he seems slightly embarrassed, aware that he’s made a scene and Malfoys are not supposed to make a scene. But the way he says “my dad” is so sweet and meaningful; he’s so relieved to be back with the dad he knows and loves rather than the Head of Magical Law Enforcement who is complicit in such atrocities.

-        The scene in the dormitory is so funny. When he tries to wake Albus up, he leans out of his bed and nearly falls, having to put a hand out to catch himself. He is utterly giddy in this scene, so delighted to be back with his best friend, everything right with the world once again. For the “time to make time turning a thing of the past” line, he grabs Albus by the arm and pulls him over and delivers the line with their arms linked.

-        In the owlery, when Albus says it felt important to send an owl, Jordan mouthed “why?”. Another little moment of Scorpius’ jealousy; he’s got his best friend back and he wants him all to himself.

-        On the Quidditch Pitch, he is just so brave, strong and resilient. He stands steadfast despite being tortured. When Delphi pulls them over to turn time back to the maze task, he can’t stop looking at Craig’s body in disbelief.

-        The maze is another scene in which he is just so brave. He’s already been tortured, knows she’ll do it again, that she would eventually kill him. But he won’t give up, his voice is hard and determined when he tells her they can defy her. For the Crucio while he’s on the ground, he does a sort of shoulder stand and throws his legs up in the air. He looks a bit like a ragdoll being thrown around and I don’t know how he does it, but it is very effective.

-        In Godric’s Hollow, he is so excited to see Bathilda that he actually yells “SQUEAK!” in this squeaky excited voice. He’s giddy with pure nerdy delight and it’s absolutely adorable.

-        The hug with Draco in Godric’s Hollow is so heart-warming. Jordan’s Scorpius throws himself into Draco’s arms with such enthusiasm that both feet leave the ground and there is a chorus of “aww”s from the audience, sometimes even cheering and applause. It is a beautiful moment, one that is clearly so important to them both. After the hug, Draco keeps a hand on Scorpius’ shoulder, now they are back together, he doesn’t want to lose him again and wants to be able to feel his presence and believe that he really is there. Jordan holds onto his arm and cuddles in against Draco’s shoulder. It is a beautiful thing to witness between them and gives me so much hope for the future of their relationship.

-        On their final staircase scene, Scorpius is once again giddy with excitement, his squeaky screech of excitement coming out once again. He really thinks that Rose’s “Scorpion King” is a triumph and sinks contentedly back onto the stairs, fists raised in celebration. When Albus sits down on the stairs, Jordan sits on the next step down and Joe would rest his head on Jordan’s shoulder then Jordan would rest his head on top of Joe’s. It is such a sweet moment. When he leaves to go to Quidditch, he walks most of the way turning back to look at Albus, who stands on the stairs watching him leaves. Their eyes are locked until the last second, when Scorpius waves and finally turns away to leave. It felt like the perfect way to say goodbye to Scorpius.

Jordan has been an asset to the London company and a truly spectacular Scorpius. He is my favourite Scorpius and I will miss him greatly, but I am so grateful to have had seven shows in which to experience his sweet, soft, excitable, brave, funny, geeky and so damn lovable interpretation of Scorpius. His chemistry was Joe was perfect, they portrayed a Scorbus friendship that felt balanced and natural, they were jokey and tactile with each other and their friendship felt so real and like it had so much potential to blossom into more. It was truly a treat to watch them together.

[karl-jenkins]

Things I love about: Tom Peters as Harry Potter

One of my favourite things is seeing understudies perform. There’s nothing I love more than seeing new, unique interpretations of characters I know and love and seeing what new things I may learn about them in the process. I wanted to put into words some of the things I’ve loved most about cast 3’s first cover Harry, Tom Peters.

-        He is so different to Jamie Ballard. His Harry is much more emotionally reserved, all of his trauma has been internalised. He is stoic, practical, purposeful, always on the move, always doing. I’ve affectionately nicknamed him “Power Stance Potter” due to the way he flicks back his robes and stands, hands on hips, ready for action.

-         On platform 9 ¾, he doesn’t quite know how to show his affection, the goodbye with Albus is awkward, showing right from the word go that there is a distance between them that doesn’t exist between Harry with James or Lily. I’ve seen them end up awkwardly waving to each other or settling on a handshake because a hug is a bridge too far.

-         Despite being much more reserved, he still has a goofy side which becomes much more apparent around Ron and Hermione. After tidying the papers on his desk, he throws his wand in the air and catches it, showboating. He seems so much comfortable and natural around them which is yet another contrast to him with Albus.

-         In the blanket scene he is so sincere and earnest that it almost hurts. He’s genuinely trying to reach out to his son. Being more reserved, moments of strong emotion pack a real punch. The line about wishing Albus weren’t his son bursts out of him, sudden and intense, like a dam bursting and it made me flinch every single time I saw it.

-         He is my favourite polyjuiced Scorpius that I have seen. Power Stance Potter is gone and replaced by a giddy, awkward Scorpius. He stands awkwardly, knees turned in, his arms flail, he is full of pure, geeky delight when he sees all the books on the shelves. He is funny and endearing and I absolutely adored him.

-         During the scene with polyjuiced Albus blocking Hermione’s office, Tom’s Harry watches on in complete bewilderment. He is stood stock still, unusual for a Harry who is usually always on the move and when he leaves the stage, he moves so slowly, eyes fixed on Ron as if he’s seen him in an entire new light and can’t quite believe what he’s just witnessed.

-         In the hospital wing, he is once again so sincere, genuinely trying to understand why Albus ran away. He still has his funny moments – when giving Albus the chocolate, he immediately snatches it back to help himself – but the focus of the scene is his need to understand. When Harry becomes fixated on Scorpius as the dark cloud you can see his desperation; blaming Scorpius gives him something tangible, something he can try to ‘fix’, so he latches onto that idea. Tom’s Harry is all about doing and he needs something practical that he can change or work on to try and fix their relationship.

-         The duel is hilarious, Tom’s Harry really enjoys himself. He loves finally having an excuse to jinx Draco. He brandishes his wand so dramatically and I love that touch of flair when he’s usually so reserved; this is Harry in his element. When he runs to throw the chair at Draco, he abandons magical means entirely and puts his wand between his teeth to free up his hands. Seeing him freeze on the spot, wand between his teeth as Ginny catches them duelling is such a funny moment.

-         The scene in Harry’s office with Dumbledore’s portrait is another scene with a huge emotional impact. When he yells “Years!” at Dumbledore, he hits the table, hard. It made me flinch every time to see that sudden burst of anger, to see the usually stoic Harry suddenly lose control of his emotions. Then, telling Dumbledore that he loved him too is a beautiful moment of vulnerability.

-         My favourite scene of Tom’s is without a doubt the ruined blanket/something written scene. It’s nothing short of exceptional. The pain in his voice when he asks, “how many people have to die for the boy who lived?” is quiet but raw and intense, the internalised trauma resurfacing. When he realises the blanket is ruined, he is so distraught that he can’t even bring himself to look at it. Once they realise that Albus has left them a message, his despair becomes pure unadulterated glee. Finally, there is something he can do. His energy in that scene is so infectious and fills you with excitement, you can’t wait to go on this next adventure with him.

-         The graveyard scene at the end is always a favourite, even though I am also sad that it’s nearly over. I sound like a broken record at this point, but Tom’s Harry is just so sincere and earnest in his approach to Albus. He’s trying so hard and it clearly means so much to him that their relationship improves. Seeing him open up to Albus and show his vulnerability, like he does with Ginny, Ron and Hermione is such a beautiful thing. His Harry goes on such a journey, by the end of the play he has learned and grown so much and that leaves me feeling so full of hope.

-         His Harry still doesn’t quite know how to be affectionate. He seems hesitant, like he doesn’t want to overstep and ruin the progress they have made. This leaves Albus free to lead the way and watching Albus initiate their hug cuts such a contrast to their awkward wave or handshake on Platform 9 ¾ at the start of the play. It feels like the story has come full circle and it is truly so satisfying, poignant and hopeful.

I am so grateful to have seen him play Harry four times and to have been there to support him for his last scheduled show as Harry. That show was so special, and I will treasure my memories of that day forever. (Though if the amount I cried that day is anything to go by, I am so not ready for cast change!)

[karl-jenkins]

HPCC London Cast 3 Final Show

I wish I had something insightful to say about yesterday but really all I can say is that it was a beautiful send off for all of the leaving cast members. The atmosphere in the theatre was electric, you could feel the joy and the love from everyone and it felt like a perfect goodbye. I expected to be sadder than I was; I did cry and I will miss them but it was such a nice way to see them all off and I can’t wait to see what new adventures they all take on next.

Sitting in the dress circle was also a nice treat to myself, my view was great and I really got to appreciate the beauty of the show when I could see all of it at once. I saw things happening in the background that I don’t usually notice like lots of hugs and interactions between cast members that made the wizarding world feel so alive and real. It also gave me a great view to fully appreciate the choreography (especially as it was the last time with that version of wand dance), and the beautiful lighting and sets.

It was a wonderful show, it made me fall in love with it yet again, reminded me of why I love theatre so much and what a truly magical and beautiful story it is. Can’t wait to see cast 4 for the first time and see what I learn next!

Plus I must mention that it was a lovely stage door experience, I’m so glad I was able to give my thanks to the people who have given such beautiful performances and made the show so special to me. And I’m so grateful for the friends I have made through the show. We laughed together, cried together, just all had fun together. It was a nice day.

[offthewallplays]

A Sordid Affair – Ten minute Off The Wall Comedy With a Mime

It's reporter Nona Vent's lucky day (well actually..) Today she gets to do an interview. The interview is with a mime who is a member of an interplanetary organization who believe speech is outmoded. The interplanetary organization is also a terrorist organization (of sorts) who plan and are making a series of statements to prove their point (that we should forgo speech and speak only in mime). In reality they go to a crowded venue, reenact an explosion in mime and lay all over the place pretending to be disfigured body parts. Since the mime cannot (or won't) speak, the journalist is forced to turn to a sound effects engineer who plays sound effects for the benefit of the audience. Things go awry when the mime shoots the sound engineer with a mimed gun and then guns down members of the audience. They all die dramatically (in mime). A very off the wall comedy with a mime.

#robertluxfordplays

#veryfunnyplays

#playswithamime