Harry Potter keeps pulling his magic on us. This time the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child won a record on nine prizes at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday.The box office hit won 9 out of 11 nominations, including the best new play. This way it received the most awards for a play in the ceremony’s history.
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards are an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre. These awards are the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards in the US.
Originally they were known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards but they were renamed in honor of the late British actor Laurence Olivier, who died in 1984.The prizes honor achievements and recognize excellence in theaters based in London. The ceremony covers a range of categories that include plays, musicals, dance, and opera.
The Olivier Awards are the highest honor in British theater, equivalent to the BAFTA Awards for film and tv. The prizes have become a glitzy affair in recent years with a ceremony full of musical numbers and a radiant red carpet.
Harry Potter taking the Oliviers
This year’s ceremony of the Olivier Awards had a rather magical surprise. For the first time, a play won 9 out of 11 categories and it was no other that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Even when the play officially premiered on 30 July 2016 it met the most prizes, including best new play and best director. Director John Tiffany said during his acceptance speech, “The power of imagination is infinite, we need it now more than ever.”
Jamie Parker, who plays Harry Potter, won the best actor award. Parker was thrilled with the recognition the play was taking on Sunday and said, “I’m just so pleased and proud that the entire team are being celebrated,”
Noma Dumezweni won the supporting actress prize for her performance of Hermione. Some people questioned the casting of a black actress in the role, though Rowling pointed out she never specified Hermione’s race.
Dumezwini was honored to play one of Rowling’s beloved characters and expressed her gratitude and the meaning of portraying this role, not only for her but for more people.She said, “So many young actors and actresses come up to me and say, ‘I’m so pleased that you’re playing her. I’m so pleased that I can see a version of myself onstage. So I am very, very privileged to do that.”
Anthony Bale who played Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy’s son, was declared the best supporting actor. Aside from winning Best New Play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child won a bunch of technical.
Aside from winning Best New Play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child won a bunch of technical prizes. It also picked up awards for Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, Best Set Design and Best Costume Design.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Written by Jack Thorne and based on the story by J.K Rowling, the play was the latest addition to the Wizarding World in nearly a decade.The play’s script became the official eighth Harry Potter story and was published worldwide in book form.
The story continues the saga 1 years after the novel’s end. It follows Harry Potter, now a Ministry of Magic employee, and his younger son Albus Severus Potter who is about to attend the legendary wizard school Hogwarts.
Divided into two parts, the play shows Albus Severus trying to deal with a family legacy he never wanted, and Harry dealing with his life as a parent, husband and well, Harry Potter.Giving the success of the play, it’s being taken to Broadway where it will arrive in 2018.
Source ABC