Michelle Gayle: ‘They said don’t leave EastEnders – I never regretted it’

From Grange Hill to the West End, via Eurovision and the Brit awards, the star has built multiple careers. She talks about stage-school pressure, TV diversity and playing Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildMichelle Gayle was 10 months into her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child last March – and in such full swing that she was in “total denial” of the pandemic – when the West End closed its doors. Sitting in a chintzy backroom of the Palace theatre now, she talks in athletic terms about 12-hour rehearsal days and re-building her stamina. The whole cast is ecstatic to be back, she says, but they are also whispering about how tired they feel.Exhaustion aside, she speaks of her debt to Noma Dumezweni, whose casting in 2016 sparked online outrage from some at the prospect of a Black Hermione. JK Rowling piled in to the furore to defend the casting and call out the complaints as racist. Dumezweni won an Olivier award for the part. “I owe her a lot of gratitude – I’m standing on her shoulders,” says Gayle. “She got through that [time] with incredible grace and proved she was there on merit because she’s a bloody good actress but she had to take a big hit online to do that. When someone of the quality of Noma steps up, no one’s got anything more to say and then the conversation’s dead. It’s a shame that you have to be brilliant to end that conversation, but there are enough brilliant black actors out there.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-10-13 08:41:05 UTC ]
News tagged with: #hermione granger #cursed child #full swing #palace theatre #harry potter

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‘I really wanted to do things differently’ Bobbi Brown talks leaving namesake company and staying true to her passion

Renowned makeup artist & best-selling author Bobbi Brown talks finding her passion, leaving her namesake company, and her newest book on "No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis. Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2017-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC India to offer 'pawternity leave' to employees

HarperCollins Publishers India is to grant "pawternity leave" to employees who are adopting pets. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orwell-inspired anthology raises funds as UK prepares to leave the EU

Unsung Stories is to publish 2084, a new collection of dystopian fiction featuring exclusive new stories from Christopher Priest, Lavie Tidhar, David Hutchinson and Jeff Noon, in July. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins audio director Forshaw to leave

HarperCollins’ audio director Jo Forshaw is leaving next week after eight years with the company. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Moss made m.d. of Wordery as Jones leaves

Connect Books has promoted Rob Moss to managing director of online bookseller Wordery, following the decision of current managing director and founder, Will Jones, to leave the business at the end of May. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ritchie leaves Curtis Brown for A M Heath

Literary agent Rebecca Ritchie is leaving Curtis Brown after five years to join A M Heath. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crown to Publish Books by Barack and Michelle Obama

Former President Barack Obama, in Manhattan last month. Many questions about the Obamas’ books deal are unanswered — like the size of the advance and whether they are both memoirs. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2017-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barack and Michelle Obama books coming after deal announced

Barack and Michelle Obama have signed with publishing house Penguin Random, for an undisclosed sum.  Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barack and Michelle Obama sign $91m book deal with Penguin Random House

Barack and Michelle Obama have signed with publishing house Penguin Random, for a record breaking sum.   Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barack and Michelle Obama sign record book deals with Penguin Random House

Books by former president and first lady said to have been sold for more than $60m and will focus on White House yearsBarack and Michelle Obama have signed book deals with Penguin Random House, the publisher announced on Tuesday.Financial terms were not disclosed for the books, for which several... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BA warns rates hike will leave some ‘crippled’

The Booksellers Association (BA) this week warned Treasury chief secretary David Gauke that planned increases to business rates bills this April will result in many booksellers’ businesses being “absolutely crippled”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Matt Haslum to leave Faber

Faber’s consumer marketing director Matt Haslum is leaving the business after four years. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tim Barton to leave OUP after 25 years

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[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Damian Horner to leave Hachette

Damian Horner is leaving his position as brand development director at Hachette UK to join Real Vision, a video-on-demand platform for finance, as their global chief creative officer. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers welcome 'clarity' on leaving European single market

The Publishers Association (PA) and the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) have welcomed prime minister Theresa May's speech yesterday (17th January) confirming the UK will be leaving the single market.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Decroix to leave La Martinière

French publisher La Martinière has bowed to staff demands to part with its children and young adult books chief Béatrice Decroix, a week after more than 100 staff walked out in protest over working conditions in the division. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sarah Manning leaves UTA to join the Bent Agency

Sarah Manning, formerly an agent at United Talent Agency, is joining the Bent Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two new crime novels from Michelle Davies to Pan Mac

Two new novels in Michelle Davies' DC Maggie Neville series have been acquired by Pan Macmillan. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mendeley co-founder Jan Reichelt leaves Elsevier

Jan Reichelt, co-founder and managing director of Mendeley, now part of Elsevier, has left the company "to pursue other interests".  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jaime Carey Leaving Barnes & Noble

Jaime Carey, the long-time B&N executive who was named head of the development and restaurant group in June, will leave the company in February after B&N determined he would no longer have his current duties. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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