Weekly Rewind | 4 August 2017

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Announces Its Broadway Cast 

It was announced this week that the original principal cast members from the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be reprising their roles when the show transfers to Broadway in the Spring of 2018. The cast will include Jamie Parker as Harry Potter, Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger, Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley, Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy, Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter, Poppy Miller as Ginny Potter, and Alex Price as Draco Malfoy. The show will be housed in the newly renovated Lyric Theatre in New York. Tickets for the Broadway production will go on sale 12 October at 11 am EST. 
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I don't think I need to say go see Cursed Child because it has been well documented how brilliant this show is, but I'm going to anyway. I was VERY lucky to be able to get tickets to see Cursed Child in London with the original cast and it was the best piece of theatrical craft I have ever witnessed. It was so good I truly believe they used real magic to make it happen... I still can't wrap my brain around how they did some of the things they did. Aside from the technicalities of the show, the performances from this cast, especially from Parker and Boyle,  are powerful and emotional. If you grew up with Harry Potter, you will without a doubt be punched in the gut with sentiment and melancholy for the characters you love. But, putting my love for Harry Potter aside, Cursed Child is an absolutely masterful piece of theatre and, if you go see one theatre show this year, it should be this (although I encourage you to go to the theatre as much as possible because the theatre is magical and it makes you a better person). 

​Related: Formative Films | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Tom Hiddleston to Play Hamlet in Kenneth Branagh's Next Production

Tom Hiddleston is set to play the famous Prince of Denmark this September in London. The production, which will run for only three weeks, will be directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Branagh’s theatre company. The production is in partnership with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, for which Hiddleston is an alumni and Branagh is the President, to help raise ￡20 million to regenerate it’s Chenies Street site. The production will also star Kathryn Wilder as Ophelia, Lolita Chakrabarti as Gertrude, and Nicholas Farrell as Claudius. 
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Tom Hiddleston to play the Danish Prince... Hmm. I will admit, I am not a huge fan of Tom Hiddleston (especially not after that tragic PR Taylor Swift mess... Thirsty for fame much???) I find him pretty boring as an actor. He's a great technical actor (understandable why Shakespeare is his forte), but he lacks soul and spirit in his performances. I find his work very one-dimensional and lifeless. We'll have to see what he brings to the famous role, if anything at all. 

The BBC Launches Its New Season, Gay Britannia

Over the course of the next fortnight, all BBC channels, television and radio, will be taking part in the broadcasters newest season. Gay Britannia celebrates the thriving LGBTQ community throughout Britain in the wake of 50 years since the passage of the Sexual Offenses Act. The season intends to shed light on the challenging history of the LGBTQ community in Britain and will challenge preconceptions.  Some programs a part of Gay Britannia on the BBC include: Growing Up Gay - singer Olly Alexander explores mental health in the LGBTQ+ community (BBC Three), Queers - Mark Gatiss curates 8 essential monologues chronicling the history of being gay in Britain (BBC Four), Against the Law - Daniel Mays stars in a re-telling of the 1954 Montagu Trial, where Peter Wildeblood, Lord Montague, and Michael Pitt-Rivers were tried for homosexual offenses (BBC Two), Man in an Orange Shirt - two films look at different challenges faced by gay couples in post-WWII Britain and present day Britain (BBC Two). Full programming is available here.
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To read my full thoughts on the BBC's powerful new season, check out this week's Inspiration Tuesday. 

Related: Inspiration Tuesday: Gay Britannia on the BBC 

Mary Berry to Judge New BBC One Cookery Show

The former judge of The Great British Bake-Off, Mary Berry, will continue her partnership with the BBC in a new cooking competition program. Britain’s Best Cook (a title that came directly from W1A's David Wilkes - his next project following the failure of Britain's Best Village.) will be broadcasted on BBC One and presented by  Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman. The program will feature 10 contestants competing to create striking meals that reflect both modern and classic British dishes. Berry will be joined by another judge, yet to be named.
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I loved The Great British Bake-Off, and it broke my little heart when it got canceled... Well, bought by Channel 4… It would have been more honorable to just be canceled. But I am excited to see Bezza hosting a new BBC cooking show that focuses on classic British cuisine, although I doubt it will have the same flare as Bake-Off. In other news, did y'all see that trailer Channel 4 released for their fake Bake-Off? It was creepy as heck. They turned a charming show about cakes into a horror program! #Yikes #RIPBakeOff 

Related: What I'm (Re)Watching... W1A

Edinburgh Fringe Kicks Off Its 70th Arts Festival

On 4 August, the 70th Annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival launched. The world’s largest arts festival will run from 4 – 28 August in Edinburgh, Scotland and feature world-class artists, comedians, performers, and writers. The festival features a number of different events like Cabaret performances, stand-up comedy shows, dance and physical theatre, spoken word, music, exhibitions, children's shows, and theatre performances, 
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Ed Fringe is an absolutely iconic part of British culture. The Fringe festival is the place to be for anyone with an interest in the arts. It is where the brightest young artists are born and the skilled mature artists continue to grow. The festival provides an open space to let your creativity flow and express yourself through all forms of art. Unlucky for me, I will not be at the place to be this summer. Ed Fringe is on my bucket list, so if anyone wants to fly me over to Edinburgh for the Fringe festival I won't refuse.