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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Michelle Gayle: ‘They said don’t leave EastEnders – I never regretted it’'


BBC prepared to pay 'in excess of £15m' to build new EastEnders set

Corporation wants new facilities to drag soap out of 1980s into 21st century and more gentrified east London.The cost of building the new set for BBC1's EastEnders is likely to top £15m, a tender document for the sprawling lot in north London has revealed.The new facilities at the BBC's studios... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #executive producer #modern world


Margolis Leaving HC; Will Start New Venture

Esther Margolis, who joined HarperCollins when her indie house Newmarket Press was acquired by the Big Five publisher, is launching a new venture. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #joined harpercollins


Hughes to leave Index on Censorship

Kirsty Hughes, chief executive of Index on Censorship, is to step down from her role. Hughes,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Murray Hill leaves Scholastic for Egmont

Egmont has appointed Hilary Murray Hill [pictured] as m.d. of a newly created Books division,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Woolcott leaves Waterstones

Waterstones marketing manager Jon Woolcott is leaving the chain after seven years. ... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Scherer to leave Hatchards

Hatchards assistant manager Karin Scherer is to leave the bookseller after 28 years. Her last... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Michelle Knight writing book on being held captive by Ariel Castro

Michelle Knight will write a book on the 11 years she spent as a captive in the Cleveland home of Ariel Castro. Weinstein books will publish the as yet untitled memoir in spring 2014.Michelle Knight will write a book on the 11 years she spent as a captive in the Cleveland home of Ariel Castro.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #held captive #ariel castro #michelle knight #weinstein books #untitled memoir


Duly Noted: John Oliver to leave The Daily Show (Video)

It's common practice for musical artists to create their own labels in order to dip into that part of the industry. However, even though it's, more or less, the same thing, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is taking the uncommon step of launching his own book publishing imprint, Jeter... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2013-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john oliver #duly noted #common practice #comedy central #daily show


Publishing Executive Larry Kirshbaum to Leave Amazon

One of Amazon.com Inc.'s top book publishing executives, Laurence Kirshbaum, will leave early next year, Amazon said, a sign of the difficulties the retailer has had in establishing itself as a major book publisher. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #laurence kirshbaum


Michelle Collins to O'Mara

Michael O'Mara will publish the autobiography of soap actress Michelle Collins next April.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Jarvis leaves library role, replaced by Goodman

Dan Jarvis MP has left his post as shadow libraries minister as the result of a Labour party... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #labour party


Time’s Top Editor Leaving for State Dept.

With a new CEO and a new set of titles, it's been a busy week (in the midst of a busy year) for Time Inc. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #busy week #busy year


J.K. Rowling: Dumbledore 'was the ... hardest to leave'

In a video on 'Good Morning America' celebrating the 15th anniversary of the release of the 'Harry Potter' books in the US, Rowling singles out Dumbledore as the 'Potter' character she misses the most.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #15th anniversary


Siobhan Kenny to leave HarperCollins

Siobhan Kenny, group communications director for HarperCollins UK and International, is to leave... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leave harpercollins #siobhan kenny #harpercollins uk


Chapman among S&S promotions, MacRae leaves company 

Simon & Schuster UK m.d. and c.e.o. Ian Chapman has been promoted to chief executive and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ian chapman


Time Inc. Designer Neil Jamieson Leaves for Studio

Neil Jamieson, a Time Inc. vet and a big figure in the magazine design world, has left to join design studio Joe Zeff Design to be the studio's first creative director. Jamieson most recently was design director of Money, whose tablet edition was a National Magazine Award finalist this year. He... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #previously worked #sports illustrated #outgoing president #designing covers #magazine publishing


Rebecca Gayle Howell's apocalyptic poetry collection, 'Render'

Times Book Critic David L. Ulin takes a look at Rebecca Gayle Howell's poems in "Render" and her definition of "apocalypse."On the back cover of Rebecca Gayle Howell’s debut book of poetry “Render: An Apocalypse” (Cleveland State University Poetry Center: unpaged, $15.95 paper), there’s a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #back cover #debut book #long view


Barnsley to leave HarperCollins

HarperCollins UK and International c.e.o. and publisher Victoria Barnsley is to leave the company... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leave harpercollins #harpercollins uk


HC's Sylvia May to leave

HarperCollins' group international sales director Sylvia May is to leave the company after 36... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Does Lack of English-language Publishers Leave Seoul’s Book Fair 2nd Class?

The "Korea Times" compares the Seoul International Book Fair to Tokyo's International Book Fair, and finds it sorely lacking. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |