Theater Round-Up: Daniel Radcliffe on ‘Live With Ryan and Kelly,’ First Look Photos of ‘Endgame’ and ‘Uncle Vanya’ and Much More!

Jan 27, 2020

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Actor Interviews, Broadway, Casting, Enoch, Events, Fandom, Fans, Films, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, HP Cast, Interviews, Jack Thorne, News, Noma Dumezweni, Radcliffe, Round-Up, Sonia Friedman, Television Programmes, Theater, Theater Round-Up, West End

This week’s theater round-up is massive and well worth the read through. We have news on Daniel Radcliffe’s upcoming project Endgame, Alfred Enoch’s casting in Romeo & Juliet and Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds’ Uncle Vanya.

Musical phenom Imogen Heap hosted the Grammy’s Premiere Ceremony, Noma Dumezweni appeared at TCA to promote HBO’s The Undoing and BBC America ordered Jack Thorne’s short form film series Disability Monologues.

And finally, we always have Cursed Child news to round out the recap–read on for details about a Broadway casting call, discount tickets for Wizards Unite players and a special event at the Australian Open for Potter fans. Also check out Bubba Weiler’s vastly entertaining interview on Broadway.com’s #LiveatFive and get all the details on Nicholas Podany’s upcoming performance at Feinstein’s/54!

Daniel Radcliffe Discusses Endgame on Live With Ryan and Kelly

Daniel Radcliffe has been making the media rounds to promote his upcoming play Endgame in which he stars alongside veteran actor Alan Cummings. The comedy from Samuel Beckett is set to open at the Old Vic on Feb. 1, and Radcliffe recently stopped by The Graham Norton Show to discuss the production, which is now in rehearsals. Last week he joined hosts Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa on the popular American morning show Live With Ryan and Kelly.

He kicked off the interview by clarifying that the play is unrelated to the Marvel film of the same name. He joked, “It has nothing to do with the Avengers film–some people are going to be very disappointed when they turn up!” 

Radcliffe went on to rave about Cummings and, interestingly, his dressing room. Watch the video below and learn more about Club Cummings. (Personally, we’d really like to hear more about a Club Radcliffe. Keep planting seeds, Kelly. Keep planting seeds.)

As for the play itself, The Standard released first look behind-the-scenes photos of the cast in rehearsals. They definitely look deeply immersed in the creative process!

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Leaky previously reported that the play is described as follows:

“In a bare room, Hamm, an old, blind tyrant, is locked in a stalemate with his servant Clov. Interrupted by the nostalgic musings of Hamm’s ancient, dustbin-dwelling parents, this bleakly funny double act cling stubbornly to their routine of casual savagery and mutual dependence.”

Endgame, directed by Richard Jones, runs through March 28, 2020. Book tickets here!

Alfred Enoch Cast in Shakespeare’s Globe Production of Romeo & Juliet

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According to Playbill, Alfred Enoch, known as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter film series, has been cast in Romeo & Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Enoch will play the titular character and famous Shakespeare antagonist in the upcoming production, directed by Ola Ince. It will run in London from April 14 through July 12.

Other casting details have not yet been announced, but it’s sure to be an exciting take on the classic tragedy given Enoch’s involvement. He has certainly established himself post-Harry Potter, having starred in the popular television series How to Get Away With Murder and the acclaimed stage production of Red alongside award-winning actor Alfred Molina.

Leaky will cover new information as its released!

First Look Photos of Uncle Vanya Released

WhatsOnStage unveiled first look photos from the newly-opened production Uncle Vanya starring Toby Jones (Dobby), Ciaran Hinds (Aberforth) and Richard Armitage, best known for his intense portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit.

Broadway World has described the play from Sonia Friedman Productions as follows:

“In the heat of summer, Sonya (Aimee Lou Wood) and her Uncle Vanya (Toby Jones) while away their days on a crumbling estate deep in the countryside, visited occasionally only by the local doctor Astrov (Richard Armitage).

“However, when Sonya’s father Professor Serebryakov (Ciarán Hinds) suddenly returns with his restless, alluring, new wife Yelena (Rosalind Eleazar) declaring his intention to sell the house, the polite facades crumble and long repressed feelings start to emerge with devastating consequences.”

This adaptation of the Anton Chekhov play opened Thursday, Jan. 23, and the early photos are stunning. The set is somehow ethereal and gritty, expansive and intimate, transferring the actors entirely to another place and time.

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Uncle Vanya is scheduled to run for 16 weeks at the Harold Pinter Theatre. View the full gallery of photos at WhatsOnStage here, and order tickets here!

Imogen Heap Hosted the 62nd Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony

Grammy.com reported that Imogen Heap, innovative composer of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child soundtrack, was tapped to host the prestigious 62nd Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony.

The ceremony took place Sunday, Jan. 26 at 12:30 p.m. PT at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed internationally and featured performances from classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, jazz legend Chick Corea, folk music group I’m With Her, West African artist Angélique Kidjo and Best New Artist nominee Yola.

And for those who missed the pre-Grammy ceremony, the live stream of the event will be available for viewing on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 90 days!

Noma Domezweni Stars in HBO’s New Series The Undoing

Earlier this month, Noma Dumezweni, best known for portraying the adult Hermione Granger-Weasley in the original Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, appeared alongside cast members of HBO’s new limited series The Undoing on the TCA stage. Joined by creator and writer David E. Kelley and executive producer and direct Susanne Bier, Dumezweni, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant discussed the upcoming adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s book You Should Have Known.

According to Deadline, the plot synopsis reads as follows:

“The Undoing centers on Grace Sachs (Kidman), who is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. She’s a successful therapist, has a devoted husband (Grant) and young son (Noah Jupe) who attends an elite private school in New York City. Overnight a chasm opens in her life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster, and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.”

IMDb.com does not list the name of Dumezweni’s character, but her inclusion in the panel suggests that she has a significant part to play. Fans will have to tune in to HBO in May when the six-part series debuts to find out more!

Watch the chilling trailer below!

BBC America Orders Short Form Series Disability Monologues From Jack Thorne

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Though best known to Potter fans as the writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Jack Thorne has been incredibly prolific writing for both stage and screen, and for both television series and feature films.

He recently contributed his extraordinary talents to the short form series Disability Monologues from BBC Studios’ Documentary Unit. Along with Mat Fraser, Jackie Hagan, Genevieve Barr, Tom Wentworth and Matilda Ibini, Thorne penned fictional monologues set to premiere in 2020.

According to Deadline, the films are described as follows:

Disability Monologues will portray the very real experiences of people with disabilities over the last 50 years in Britain. From the ignominy of discrimination and incarceration to the liberation of the electric wheelchair, there have been both great steps forward and terrible setbacks. These short films seek to challenge the world view that somehow, having a disability is a problem, or ‘not normal.’ “

Deadline also reported that BBC America has ordered the series, so viewers on both sides of the pond will be able to enjoy this important body of work.

 Cursed Child Casting News, Ticket Discounts and Special Events

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Backstage.com reported that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Broadway is holding casting calls!

According to the site, Train Times Broadway is seeking Equity actors, 18 and older, for roles in the award-winning Broadway production, and principal auditions will be held TODAY, Jan. 27 in New York City. Pay is $2,168 per week minimum. Qualified actors can apply here.

In other exciting news, iMore reported that Harry Potter Wizards Unite players can purchase discounted tickets to Cursed Child performances in New York City, San Francisco and London through Jan. 31, 2020.

Simply go to the box office for your preferred theater and show your in-game Ministry ID at the time of purchase. Tickets for the New York City and San Francisco shows start at $50, and tickets for the London show start at £42.50.

iMore does caution fans to bear in mind that the discount can only be redeemed in person, and each qualified theater-goer is limited to 4 tickets. The offer is also subject to availability and cannot be applied to Saturday showings.

Last, Cursed Child Australia also announced a special event going on TODAY, Jan. 27. The Australian Open is hosting a Harry Potter Day, and attendees will be treated to movies, a spells workshop and more. Additionally, fans who plan to attend should be sure to dress in their best Harry Potter costumes–you just might WIN a trip for four to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter!

Not bad for a Monday, honestly!

#LiveatFive With Cursed Child’s Bubba Weiler

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Bubba Weiler, Cursed Child Broadway’s current Scorpius Malfoy, stopped by Broadway.com’s #LiveatFive program on Friday.

The spot opened with a great story about how Bubba got his name–a must watch–before moving on to Cursed Child. The host asked Weiler how he prepared for the role of Malfoy once he discovered he’d been cast since he did not come to the fandom until adulthood. This led to an hilarious rabbit trail of a story regarding how his childhood introduction to Potter went awry:

“I didn’t read [the books] when I was little…I had a little bit of a traumatic experience. I went to school. I think I was like eight years old. I went to third grade, and over the summer, everyone had read these books, and I went to class, and I was really nervous to make friends. And everyone was like, ‘Hey, so have you read Harry Potter?’

“And I was like, Yeah, totally read those books. Love ’em. They were my fave…and people would be like, ‘What’d you think of this part?’ And I’d be like, What’d you think of this part? That’s what I thought, too…

“And then one of the kids in class had a Harry Potter-themed birthday party, and his mom dressed up as the Fat Lady in the portrait. So, in order to get into the party, you had to answer a trivia question…she asked me something really embarrassingly easy. I remember it to this day. It was, ‘How does mail get delivered at Hogwarts?’ And I was like–the normal way.”

It turns out, after the ball dropped, Weiler swore off Potter for the rest of his childhood until an obsessed college friend reintroduced him to the series, asking him to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for her 21st birthday present. And the rest, as they say, is history!

Watch the fantastically entertaining interview from #LiveatFive below!

Nicholas Podany to Perform at 54 Sings Harry Styles

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Nicholas Podany, who takes on the cloak of Albus Severus Potter on Broadway and has a penchant for singing, joins the ensemble performing in 54 Sings Harry Styles at Feinstein’s/54 Below on Feb. 22 at 11:30 p.m.

Podany will perform alongside some of the stars of Broadway’s most popular shows, including Newsies, Mean Girls, Anastasia, Cats, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked, Frozen, Pretty Woman and more!

They will cover songs from Styles latest album, Fine Line, so attendees will be delighted to hear renditions of “Sign of the Times,” “Kiwi,” “Adore You” and “Treat People With Kindness.”

According to BroadwayWorld, there is a $20-$45 cover charge and $20 food and beverage minimum for this one-night-only event. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets sought after 4:00 p.m. on the day of performance may only be procured by calling (646) 476-3551.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.