#vincent lang

[hacked-by-jake]

Vincent isn't bad looking but have you seen Daniel's eyes?? 😍😍

That man is gorgeous.

It's true, his eyes are really pretty. Insanely intensive color. But I'm sorry, my lovely anon, he's handsome as well. I am team "the other way around". "Daniel isn't bad looking but have you seen Vincent's eyes?" 🤭

[bluewanderings]

Interview with Vincent Lang (Albus Potter) and Mathias Reiser (Scorpius Malfoy)

A new edition of the German Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script came out last week, to match the script currently being used in the Hamburg production of the play. Several changes have been made to the original translation of the dialogue and lots of fun little details have been added, and I might discuss those at some point, but for now I’m going to focus on the interview included at the end of the book, which was done with Vincent Lang and Matti Reiser on March 2020 ✨ It covers topics like how they got these roles, what they think of Albus and Scorpius, and how they developed their own versions of them!

(Disclaimer: this is 1.5k words, I translated it in about 4 hours, and I’m working with two foreign languages here, so! it’s not perfect and some liberties were taken, but it turned out quite well overall 💙)

(And another disclaimer in case Carlsen stumbles upon this or something: this was done for free and for the sole purpose of bridging the language barrier surrounding this production. I’m not getting anything out of it.)

Interview with the actors VINCENT LANG (ALBUS POTTER) and MATHIAS REISER (SCORPIUS MALFOY) 

Conducted by Eva-Maria Steinel on March 3rd 2020 in Hamburg

The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. You were both born in the 90s. Do you still remember your first encounter with Harry Potter?

Mathias Reiser: In my case it was the film. I saw the first one with some friends. It was very scary, and I was absolutely terrified of Voldemort… I saw the second one shortly afterwards and could hardly wait for the third one to come out. I then read books four to seven.

Vincent Lang: Harry Potter was the first film I ever saw in a cinema. As a six-year-old, I found it pretty scary. Later on, my mother thrust the book into my hand, and I read the stories.

Around twenty years later you’re performing in the German premiere of “Harry Potter und das verwunschene Kind” yourselves. How did you get involved?

Vincent Lang: At the end of my training at drama school I attended a central audition, where you perform for different theatres. After that, I got the invitation to the casting call for the Harry Potter play.

Mathias Reiser: I saw the announcement after one of my performances and thought: “Well, I do musicals, this isn’t for me anyway.” I then got an inquiry from an agency and was invited to the audition. After the first day I made it to the next round, and I was first in the selection for the role of Albus or Scorpius. Now I’m making my acting debut – that has always been my great passion.

What makes Albus Potter special?

Vincent Lang: What makes Albus Potter special is Scorpius. Their relationship is something extraordinary. But Albus’ strength of will is also remarkable: the fact that he’s so sure of what he wants. Even though he’s put under such pressure from all sides, he goes on the offensive and feels the urge to assert himself. His friendship with Scorpius encourages him to do that.

And what’s special about this friend, Scorpius?

Mathias Reiser: His transparency. Scorpius finds it difficult to disguise himself and hide his feelings. In spite of that, he tries to conceal his self-hatred and he’s slightly depressive. Of course, that’s related to the rumors circulating around him. Albus is the only one who helps him and who gifts him his friendship. They’re both bound together by a love that’s rooted in that friendship.

How did you prepare for your roles?

Mathias Reiser: I had to learn the library scene for the audition. It gives some deep insight into the role. In a way, it’s the key scene when it comes to understanding Scorpius. The script is so well-written that I immediately felt a connection to Scorpius’ character and the relationship between these two friends.

What else did you learn about the role later on?

Mathias Reiser: The role was truly developed during rehearsals. Especially as I was working with the English directing team around John Tiffany, I had lots of “aha!” moments: the fact that Scorpius constantly judges himself, that he keeps reaching out to other people and is constantly watching himself. It became clear to me that that’s where his inner conflict stems from. On the one hand, he carries a great insecurity with him, a deep, dark abyss – and then he’s also extremely extroverted.

Was a similar preparation necessary for the role of Albus Potter?

Vincent Lang: After the invitation to the casting, I spoke with lots of Harry Potter fans. I then read the play and fell head over heels for the role. I immediately felt a strong connection to Albus. I could already guess what he would say next, without having read it. So, the first thing I did as preparation was read. I was over the moon when I got the role.

What happened after that first rush of euphoria?

Vincent Lang: I worked with the script a lot. As preparation for rehearsals, I wrote out what the other characters say about Albus Potter and how they describe him. I discovered most of that during rehearsals, but also through fans and friends from outside. Especially on Instagram I’ve found some truly beautiful things. I’ve discovered how full of love Albus is.

Can you give us an example of that?

Vincent Lang: For example, there’s one post about the line that Albus says to Cedric: “Dein Dad liebt dich über alles”. Someone wrote that it’s exactly this situation that shows how empathetic Albus is – and it’s in a moment that’s life or death. Another important post says: “Every single one of Albus’ lines has ‘I love you’ as a subtext**”. That strongly influenced my development of the role.

(** TN: This is a literal translation of Vincent's words, but he's talking about an interview with Nick Podany (who played Albus in cast 2 of the Broadway production) where he said: "I think every scene the only thing Albus wants to say is 'I love you'". Here’s a gifset with captions and also the full interview for anyone who wants to check it out!! 26:00-ish onwards is the part that Vincent references here)

Theatre scripts always leave room for interpretation. What did you picture while you were reading?

Mathias Reiser: Definitely something completely different from the films.

Vincent Lang: It was like that for me as well. I never had the actors from the Harry Potter films in mind while I was reading. The characters from the books are more complex in a way that can’t be portrayed in the films.

Mathias Reiser: Lots of spectators ask if you have to read the books in order to understand the play. I always say that it’s enough to know the films.

Vincent Lang: But you can also understand everything even without any previous knowledge.

Mathias Reiser: That’s related to the fact that the play is about the children of these characters that people know from the films and books.

Vincent Lang: Yes, it’s about the relationship between Albus and Scorpius.

During the rehearsal phase, you already stood on stage for the previews. Did your roles change as a result?

Mathias Reiser: During the previews I mostly worked on my voice and energy. I opened up the role even more so I could reach everyone. We developed most of it during rehearsals, obviously, but playing in front of an audience adds a whole new level. For example, the question of when and why you do a pause. You see the role as a whole. During every preview, I paid attention to how my role evolved – from the first part to the second, until the end of the performance.

Vincent Lang: The framework of my role was established during rehearsals. I get to push the limits in previews. It’s different every evening. The audience makes a lot of things feel new. I’d never performed in front of so many spectators before the Harry Potter play. When the audience has an especially intense reaction, as an actor you suddenly discover how much dopamine your body can produce.

What freedoms do you have on stage with regard to the script?

Vincent Lang: The play is so incredibly well-written, and it makes sense for us to stick to the script. But this is theatre, and if something unexpected happens we can react in a way that’s appropriate to the text.

Mathias Reiser: In my case, the way I handle the script is directly related to my role. During rehearsals, the directors kept telling me to “speak on the line”. Scorpius isn’t the type of person who thinks first and speaks later. It all happens simultaneously with him. Thoughts and speech flow out of him all at once.

What’s Scorpius’ typical way of speaking?

Mathias Reiser: On the one hand it’s a very logical, rational way of speaking, and on the other hand it’s transparent and emotional. The way Scorpius speaks is like an open book. There’s something innocent and clear about it. That clarity and purity is something Albus and Scorpius have in common, because they’re very young.

So, there’s a lot of similarities between the two of them. What significance does speech have for Albus?

Vincent Lang: For him, it’s a way to create ties with the people around him. He has a very sensitive way of speaking. He tries to express himself in the way that he feels, and his voice often shows his vulnerability.

What kind of world does the script transport you to?

Vincent Lang: During performances I spend most of my time at Hogwarts, and I get to witness it from its most beautiful sides.

Mathias Reiser: Performing is something very special because, as actors, we get to immerse ourselves in a different world. I’ve dived into the Harry Potter world. I perform for the audience, of course, and I want the spectators to understand me. But sometimes it takes me ten minutes to realise they’re there because I’m so involved in the scene and the moment.

The script is just one part of the production, which also relies on the choreography and magical effects. Jamie Harrison invented the original stage tricks for Harry Potter and once said that the illusions in this play are especially challenging because they’re described so precisely in the books. Was it difficult to bring the spells to life?

Vincent Lang: For an actor, learning magic is a technique more than anything. I need to study the spell and the movement as if they were a choreography.

Mathias Reiser: Yes, it’s hard work.

Vincent Lang: The spells are a truly beautiful effect for the audience. Magic works best when it’s filled with life; for example, when fire comes out of a wand. That’s an amazing moment for me as an actor.

[istartedbelievinginitmyself]

Review Harry Potter and the cursed child Hamburg (Harry Potter und das verwunschene Kind)

After not seeing the play for two years due to covid and having to rebook my tickets several times it finally happened! I finally got to see cursed child again, this time in germany Hamburg for the first time. That I was very excited is an understatement. I forgot a bit over the long break how much i love this play and now its all back! It was just amazing and I can‘t express how much it means to me to see it again! To have a good memory of my thoughts i thought it would be good idea to write a little review about it as I did for the last three times I saw it in London.

The German Production

I have to admit the first time they announced cursed child would come to Germany i was a bit sceptical. I am German, but I saw the play in the english version three times now and I read it in english for the first time. I never read the German script and only looked into it a bit after the Hamburg Production was announced. For Musicals here in Germany the translation of songs can feel a bit weird at times and I was afraid I wouldn’t like the translation or that the play would feel very different from the original. I also was quite sceptical of the glimpses I have seen of the German script especially Albus‘ dialouge. They gave him a very modern teenage way of talking that feels different to me how Albus talked in the English production.

But after seeing it now nothing of that bothered me even a bit! Maybe it was the long break because I wasn’t as used to the english text any more or I would have liked it either way, I don’t know. The different text really didn’t bother me! It still felt like the cursed child I know and that was just wonderful.

Some jokes were a bit funnier in the english version, but there wasn’t much that I didn’t like. I also have to admit that it was a bit easier to understand all the lines in German. I am a native German speaker and although my english listening understanding is quite ok it’s of course easier to understand everything in your native language.

Everything else about the production was pretty much the same as in London, so I won’t go into much detail there. The magic, the set and the costumes are still sooo amazing!

I also want to mention how happy I am that the German production is still performed in two parts. Nothing against the shortened new version, I‘m sure they also made some changes for the better ,but nothing can make up for the incredible two part experience. More theater is always better! For me at least haha. I think it’s a much more unique and magical experience in two parts although I know they are reasons for shortening it (ticket prices for example). I‘m still so happy they have the original version here. I don’t have too much hope it will stay that way, but I will hope.

The Theatre

In Hamburg cursed child is performed in the Mehr!-Theater which was as far as I know an old market place. I think from the outside it wasn’t much of a beauty and I think they did a lot more outside decoration on the palace theatre. I didn’t really like the surroundings around the theatre as it was an old market place it didn’t really feel like a traditional theatre and I think the palace theatre does a much better job witch putting you in the mood of being in Hogwarts (from outside). So wasn’t super impressed with that.

But then I walked inside and I must say they really tried everything to make it as magical as possible from the inside.

They had big paintings of patronuses (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Snape, Dumbledore, Mcgonagall and others).They were really beautiful and the lights, the carpet and the wallpaper all were quite beautiful. The auditorium itself wasn’t as decorated as I remember from the Palace theatre, but still stunning.

What was new to me was that the theatre was open for the entire break between part 1 and 2. As there isn’t much around the theatre they tried to make it as pleasant as possible to wait in the theatre itself. There were possible meal option you could book from inside the theater, to the food parvillon directly in front of the theater to a buffet in a nearly located restaurant. I booked the food parvillon outside the theater and the food was quite good. It was very crowded but a nice way to eat something and wait for part 2 without having to leave the theatre area and search for a restaurant. It was also nice to see the beautiful theatre from the inside a bit longer and having constant excess to the toilets and the bar for drinks was also a very nice plus.

The cast

Warning: This will be a long section and will contain a lot of fangirling:). After seeing other incredible people I was very curious to see the German Ensemble especially as it’s a completely new cast (in London I saw some people twice as they stayed on after cast change) and I was very excited to see how they all fitted together. I think from the perspective of a cast as a whole, they are the first cast I have seen that are on the same level as the original London/Broadway cast. You could feel that they had a long rehearsal period together (and a long break in the covid break) and that they knew each other pretty well and found a way to work together perfectly. There was no one I didn’t like and everyone fitted together perfectly. I may have other individual favorites I like as much from other casts but the German cast really shines together as a company with so much energy and joy finally being able to present the play.

Markus Schöttl-Harry Potter

I think I will repeat myself quite a bit, but I have to say that I absolutely loved his Harry! He is more on the younger side and brings so much energy to Harry, I don’t think it’s necessarily important but I must say he is very handsome as Harry. I loved Jamie Ballard as a new interpretation of Harry, but he wasn’t very book Harry at least not as much as Jamie Parker. I think Markus was a bit more like book Harry and I had no issues seeing him as the character. He effortlessly played Harry’s good and bad sides and he is just an incredible actor! He is a bit less impulsive than Jamie Parker’s Harry, but nonetheless very convincing and he made me fall in love with Harry‘s character again. I have nothing bad to say about him. I would love to see him again. He had amazing chemistry with Hermione/Ron as friends and with Ginny. I think this was the production I saw the friendship between the golden trio the most. Their friendship was just precious.

Markus was just incredible and I was very happy that he was there.

Vincent Lang - Albus Potter

I was very lucky to see some very different interpretations of Albus in the past and Vincent is no exception! His interpretation was so new and fresh and not like any other Albus I have seen before. He is the most excited and expressive Albus I have ever seen! He matches Scorpius energy which means a lot in this production haha and is very emotional. I would say he is the most vulnerable Albus until now. Very impulsive, emotionally driven and very miserable about his dad. If you can’t tell, yes I absolutely loved his Albus! I love when actors do a lot on stage and some people might call it overacting but I loved his energy so much! He is an incredible actor with so much range and such a new and fresh version of this character.

I was a bit worried with the German script in terms of youth language and yes Albus does use youth language the most (I don’t know how else I should call it), but if there is one Albus it fits to then it’s Vincent. He just has the super angsty teenage energy and he seems like a very modern version of Albus so it was no issue for me. I dont know if I would have had more of an issue with it if Albus was played by someone else but to Vincent it actually fitted quite well.

And I didn’t even start with Scorbus. This was by far the gayest version I have seen of the play in regards of Albus and Scorpius haha. He and Mathias are just a Albus Scorpius match made in heaven. They fit together so incredibly well and match each other’s energy so flawlessly. And the hug was so cute.

Mathias Reiser - Scorpius Malfoy

As I already said his Scorpius has so much energy! He is such a energetic and loud and excited Scorpius, I loved it. He is so precious and geeky and you can just feel how much he loves to play this character. I really wonder how he can keep this up every show! That’s incredible, I think I wouldn’t even last 5 minutes with that much energy, it must be very exhausting. I think he also managed to make his own version of the character but also very positively reminded me a bit of Anthony‘s Scorpius. Anthony was also a very expressive and loud Scorpius. He is so funny especially together with Vincent as Albus. His lake scene was incredibly funny! I loved him so much and I wouldn’t mind seeing him and Vincent again! I can’t really fully express how much I loved them, but take my word for it that I did.

Jilian Anthony - Hermione Granger

I will repeat this a lot but I also loved Jilin‘s Hermione! She has the right amount of authority and warmth to be a brilliant Hermione. I think the first alternate teacher Hermione was one of the best I have ever seen. How she reached after Albus as if she wanted to apologize to him was heartbreaking. I think her rebel Hermione was a little bit too much, but it was still convincing enough.

She had incredibly chemistry with Ron (more about him later), they were so cute together and I loved her friendship with Harry/Markus. I think she was also surprisingly funny which I wasn’t expecting. So can’t really say anything bad about her Hermione, she was great!

Tino Frers - Ron Weasley

Tino was the first understudy from the main characters as Sebastian (first cast Ron) was off. I would really love to see Sebastian as comparison at some point, but I fell in love with Tino as Ron. I think he actually might be my favorite Ron yet although I really love all the Ron’s I have seen. He was the perfect mix between funny and serious and he is such a natural actor with so much warmth. He just fits perfectly to Ron Weasley, he seemed the most book Ron until now. He looks a bit young but as Markus and Jilian also look on the younger side it fitted quite well in this show. His chemistry with Jilian was remarkable, if you didn’t love Ronmione before the show you definetly will after it. Also I think it’s the show I recognized Ron‘s relationship with Ginny the most. The sibling energy was real haha.

Sarah Schütz - Ginny Weasley

Off to the next Weasley! Sarah was a great Ginny! I think she resembled book Ginny very well and her Ginny was definetly very tough but still could be very soft in moments with Harry and Albus. I think at times she could have been a teeny little bit more motherly but that doesn’t really matter. I loved her in the show and she had great chemistry with Markus as Harry and with everyone else. I think she was especially lovely in the church scene comforting Albus, I think it was a very strong and emotional scene.

Alen Hodzovic - Draco Malfoy

I repeat myself again but I also absolutely loved Alen‘s Draco. I don’t know why but from the promo stuff I have seen I was the most sceptical about him, but he 100% convinced me. I think he did an amazing job between being super bratty book Draco (he was quite funny) and showing Draco‘s inner struggles and his pain. His Draco loves Scorpius dearly and he and Mathias were very cute together. He also looked great in costume, the hair looked quite natural on him. I could definetly see him as book Draco grown up. I think he also looks a bit younger, seems to be a theme in the German cast, but as I said before together it all ends up quite well.

Mariyama Ebel - Rose Granger Weasley

The second understudy of the main characters and shocking I know I also loved her! She was a very cute but still bossy Rose and her laugh is just adorable! She is a great actress and although Rose doesn’t have too much to do she really shined on stage.

Kristina Peters - Delphi

Kristina was a Great Delphi! She was quite different from the others Delphis I saw, very emotional and a bit less malicious, but also very creepy in her own way. If I wouldn’t have known the twist I really wouldn’t have seen it coming with her Delphi. She was so nice at the beginning, she did an incredible job. Her Delphi wanted to be loved so badly and it felt seemed she even felt a little bit bad about killing Craig. A little bit at least.

The supporting cast

There are a lot more characters in the play than the main ones, but I think it would be a bit too much to talk about everyone individually. To sum it up, I think the German ensemble is just wonderful and they all have so much fun. Dumbledore and Snape were pretty good and everyone gave their best. And the energy, so much energy 😊

Conclusion

It was just so wonderful to see this play again and the German production was no disappointment. Would heavily recommend watching the show and would also heavily recommend watching the German cast if you have a chance to get to Hamburg! Hamburg is also great if you love theatre in general. It’s not the west end or broadway, but for Germany it has a lot of theatres in one place. I can also heavily recommend giving the other musicals a shot (Frozen, Wicked and Lion King). All these Musicals were absoltely great! Also Hamilton will soon come to Hamburg, which also might interest some theatre fans! Also Hamburg is a beautiful city!



[ohscorbus]

Mathias Reiser as Scorpius Malfoy and Vincent Lang as Albus Potter

[bluewanderings]

“Yes, well, we probably should sit somewhere else. Come on, Albus.”

“No, I like it here. You go on.”

(Harry Potter und das verwunschene Kind, act 1 scene 3)

[bluewanderings]

From left to right: Vincent Lang (Albus Potter), Markus Schöttl (Harry Potter), and Mathias Reiser (Scorpius Malfoy) ✨

[bluewanderings]

Photos taken during today’s press conference in the Mehr! Theater am Großmarkt in Hamburg!

[bluewanderings]

Two short clips from act 1 scene 3 of the German production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! ✨