Actor Tom Felton to reprise Draco Malfoy role in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child on Broadway
NEW YORK – Tom Felton, who rose to fame as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise (2001 to 2011), is reprising his role as the titular boy wizard's blond arch-nemesis on Broadway for a limited engagement beginning in November.
The English actor will make his Broadway debut with his turn in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child –his first return to the character in 15 years – and will be in the show through March, according to a statement.
Felton, 37, said in a statement on June 6 that being part of the Harry Potter films had been one of the greatest honours of his life.
'Joining this production will be a full-circle moment for me, because when I begin performances in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child this fall, I'll also be the exact age Draco is in the play,' he said. 'It's surreal to be stepping back into his shoes – and, of course, his iconic platinum blond hair. I am thrilled to be able to see his story through an d share it with the greatest fan community in the world.'
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany, debuted in 2016 in London's West End.
Set 19 years after the events of Rowling's book Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (2007), Draco is now a father, and he – along with grown-up Harry, Ron and Hermione – sends his child to Hogwarts.
Alexis Soloski wrote in a 2021 review for The New York Times that after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the show to close, it returned with a shorter, streamlined story. The play, she wrote, remained 'diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion'.
The show's producers, Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, said in a joint statement that Draco left an indelible impression on Harry Potter fans around the world, and Felton's return to the franchise would offer fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him again.
'This moment is powerful on many levels,' they said, adding that the moment was charged with nostalgia, evolution and emotion. 'Tom's return to Hogwarts bridges generations of fans and breathes new life into a beloved story.'
Since appearing in the Harry Potter films, Felton has acted in the movies Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011) and A Babysitter's Guide To Monster Hunting (2020).
In 2022, he released a memoir, Beyond The Wand , and made his West End debu t a s the star of 2:22 A Ghost Story (2021). NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
K-star Park Bo-gum proves he is a consummate entertainer at all-English Singapore fan meeting
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox South Korean actor-singer entertained his fans with songs at his Be With You fan meeting at The Star Theatre. Park Bo Gum 2025 Be With You Fan Meeting Tour The Star Theatre Aug 14, 7pm If there was a recurring theme for Park Bo-gum's Be With You Singapore fan meeting, it would be gratitude. Throughout the 3½-long event at The Star Theatre on Aug 14, words such as 'thank you', 'grateful' and 'blessed' flowed freely from the 32-year-old's mouth. The South Korean star was also visibly touched by his fans' support as he celebrated his 14th year in show business. Park – who also sings, plays music and hosts – debuted as an actor in 2011 with a bit part in the crime thriller film Blind, and went on to become a successful performer. He admitted to the audience that 2025 is his year, with his recent TV series – romance drama When Life Gives You Tangerines and actioner Good Boy – receiving rave reviews and high viewership ratings. He said that it is his wish to take his fans on a personal journey at the fan meeting, for being with him all these years. To the supporters – some of whom flew in from China, Thailand and the United States – the handsome K-idol, famed for his 'good boy' reputation, is their Prince Charming personified. The Be With Me world tour kicked off in Yokohama, Japan, in July, with Singapore being the third stop after Seoul. Other stops include Asian cities like Kaohsiung, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur before the tour heads to Latin American countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Chile. Here are three highlights of the show that proved Park is a consummate all-rounder entertainer. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident, victim suffered multiple fractures Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened 1. No language barrier Fan meetings with South Korean stars in town are usually conducted in their native language, even if the celebrity is adept at communicating in English. Park scored a home run by holding his fan meeting primarily in English. Although he had a translator backstage and slipped back to his mother tongue at some moments, he adequately held court in English. Park often apologised for his 'limited vocabulary' whenever he struggled and stammered, as he tried to articulate his thoughts. There were also several cute boo-boos, such as saying 'poo poo' instead of 'choo choo' when imitating the sound of a train. He would then cover his face with his hands in embarrassment, laugh at his mistakes and ask his fans to 'wipe that out' from their memory. But to the crowd, the charismatic multi-hyphenate could do no wrong, often screaming 'it's okay, take your time' in Korean, much to Park's surprise and delight. 2. Serenading fans in a mini concert Before becoming an actor, Park wanted to be a singer-songwriter. He has also released several singles and a studio album, Blue Bird (2020). Recently, the musical theatre-trained artiste has been indulging in his passion for music, such as hosting the South Korean music talk show The Seasons: Park Bo-gum's Cantabile (2025). He kicked off the singing segment of the fan meeting with the energetic On My Way (2025), a song written for him and commissioned by Korea Tourism Organization to promote South Korea as a travel destination. Park is the honorary ambassador for his country. He also knew how to rouse the audience, inviting them to dance with him during his covers of South Korean singer Cho Yong-pil's upbeat Let's Take A Trip (1985) and South Korean folk duo MeloMance's jazzy Let's Take A Break (2016). Park serenaded fans with his buttery tenor vocals on ballads, often playing the accompaniment on the piano. Cue fan favourites such as My Person, the romantic song he performed for the soundtrack of Love In The Moonlight, the hit 2016 K-drama that turned Park into a global star. There was also his 2018 single Let's Go See The Stars and All My Love, a number he recorded for his fans before enlisting for his mandatory military service in 2020. Sitting at the piano and chatting with the crowd, Park, in a spur of the moment, asked everyone to sing along with him to home-grown Mandopop singer JJ Lin's Practice Love (2013). Park had performed the Chinese-language ballad at his last Singapore fan meeting, held at The Star Theatre in 2019. Never once did he show any signs of slowing down, turning the event into a mini-concert. 3. Real-life Prince Charming Park's appeal comes from his humility, innate charm and sincerity, which were on full display during the talk show segment. He shared how he never fails to keep to his daily routine of jogging, even when he is in Singapore. The avid runner thanked his waiting fans for not approaching him and respecting his privacy when he was jogging around Marina Bay Sands the morning of the fan meeting. Four fans also had the opportunity to take photos with Park on stage during the 'fan wish' segment. Seven-year-old Tarana, who travelled from New York, asked 'Bo-gum samchon' (uncle in Korean) if he had watched the hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters (2025), to which he replied 'of course'. The girl then requested that Park sing Falling Slowly with her mother, which he obliged – complete with his piano accompaniment. The Oscar-winning track, composed by Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard for the Irish romantic musical film Once (2007), went viral when Park performed it with Dublin all-male choir The Ramparts in the South Korean reality series My Name Is Gabriel (2024). Park ended the evening with a kneeling deep bow and a nod to his new role as his country's tourism ambassador. He said: 'I don't know when I will return to Singapore again, but all of you are welcome to meet me in South Korea.'
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Straits Times
Inside the $109 million renovation of Central Park's home for Shakespeare
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Delacorte Theater has been the home of Free Shakespeare In The Park for 63 years. NEW YORK – At the heart of Central Park, nestled among the trees , sits the Delacorte Theater. For 63 years, it has been the home of Free Shakespeare In The Park, one of the great treasures of New York's cultural life. The theatre has charm and tradition, but the facilities have been sub-standard, particularly for performers and stagehands, as well as patrons with disabilities. About a decade ago, the staff and board of the Public Theater, which runs the Delacorte, began discussing a renovation. Some crazy ideas were bandied about, such as geothermal cooling and a dome for year-round performances. But with the Covid-19 pandemic came pragmatism . Making any kind of radical change inside Central Park was going to be challenging, if not impossible, given the romantic and nostalgic attachment many of the park's lovers and protectors have to keeping things the way they are. So, the Public pivoted to a combination of preservation and polish – a renovation that would look much the same, but function much better. 'There was absolutely no way to improve the experience once you're sitting in the grandstand. You're outside, in Central Park, the moon is rising over the stage, Belvedere Castle is in the background, a breeze is hopefully blowing, and that's the magic of the theatre, and that will not have changed at all,' said Mr Patrick Willingham, the Public's executive director. 'But externally, the experience has been elevated.' After two years during which the open-air amphitheatre has been closed for a US$85 million (S$109 million) upgrade, the venue is reopening , with modifications and modernisations to improve the experience for audiences, performers and stage crews . Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault brings trains to a halt Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line Asia Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk There is better signage. More capacious seats. Decent dressing rooms. And, yes, better bathrooms. The project was funded half by local government, and half by private fund-raising. And the Public is raising another US$90 million to preserve and endow the free performances of Shakespeare In The Park, as well as the Public's other free programming, like its Mobile Unit, which brings theatre to neighbourhood locations , and its Public Works programme, in which amateur performers from the city's five boroughs create shows with professional actors and creative teams . The Public Theater, a non-profit, previously called the New York Shakespeare Festival, has presented more than 160 shows on the 22m-wide stage since 1962. One hidden change: There are now modular traps built into that stage floor for easier movement of actors and set pieces. The reopened theatre, where performances of Twelfth Night began in August, has 1,864 seats – about a dozen fewer than before. Some seats were lost to make the venue more accessible. Others were added in the new back row. And many are bigger to acknowledge the growing girth of Americans. The theatre's rustic facade got a glow-up. Pre-renovation, it was cedar shiplap. Now, it is tongue-and-groove redwood. That redwood comes with its own backstory: It is from 25 reclaimed city water towers. The Delacorte Theater's new facade is made of redwood from reclaimed water towers. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES The Delacorte also has a slightly different shape. Previously, it resembled a cylinder, with the exterior wall perpendicular to the ground. Now, it is more like a cone, with the exterior wall tilting outwards. There are symbolic reasons – it is intended to feel more welcoming – and practical advantages – it can accommodate more seats. A canopy goes around the whole facade, from 1.8m to 4.8m deep. Aesthetically, it creates more of a grand entrance for the theatre. Practically, it offers more cover for patrons to duck under if it starts to rain during a performance . The theatre should be accessible to people with disabilities. There are more ramps, better seating positions for wheelchair users and a lift to the sound booth. The dressing rooms – below the grandstand – have been significantly upgraded. 'It was very primitive before, with cinder block and Formica, and bathrooms I could describe only as gross,' Mr Willingham said. A dressing room at the newly renovated Delacorte Theater. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES The crew area – a so-called Klondike village of temporary sheds next to the theatre for use by costume, tech and other backstage workers – is also nicer. The six lighting towers were all replaced, as were the web of speakers and the sound-and-light control booth. Challenges remain. The weather, of course: Climate change has made outdoor performance more difficult. The raccoons too – there is a long history of raccoons traversing the Delacorte grounds, sometimes during performances. Though there is a new barrier to keep them from burrowing under the seats, there is not much to be done in the open-air portion. And then there are the helicopters, a noise nuisance that policymakers are promising to study. The open-air stage being prepared for a rehearsal at the renovated Delacorte Theater. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES One of the major construction challenges was preserving the many trees surrounding the theatre – some more than a century old. The Public worked with the Central Park Conservancy and hired arborists to help with protection, trimming and planning. A particular concern was avoiding putting too much weight on root systems. An improvement that will be of intense interest to many theatregoers: The Central Park Conservancy, which operates the public bathrooms by the theatre, is in the final stages of a US$8 million renovation of the facilities. (There are temporary restrooms.) The granite structure, built in 1912 in the English Gothic style, was once called the Belvedere comfort station. The bathroom has been given a new slate roof, restored masonry and new doors and windows , and some architectural features that had gone missing have been replaced . There are also new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and the The new women's restroom has nearly double the number of fixtures. The structure housing the bathrooms has been given a new slate roof, restored masonry, and new doors and windows. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES Most of the women in New York have not seen the first 10 minutes of the second act of any Shakespeare play for the last 50 years, joked Mr Oskar Eustis, the Public's artistic director. 'It's just absolutely necessary for gender equality that we double the number of female stalls in that bathroom.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Straits Times
From Snoop Dogg to Tom Brady, stars flock to English second-tier clubs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Birmingham City's Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata celebrates with English striker Jay Stansfield after scoring against Newcastle in an FA Cup match. LONDON – When Snoop Dogg sang the praises of Swansea City, it signalled the unlikely arrival of the latest celebrity owner in the once unfashionable Championship, English football's second tier. The American rapper has joined the Welsh club's ownership structure, investing an undisclosed sum to rub shoulders with former Real Madrid stalwart Luka Modric, who has also sunk his money into the club. 'The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working-class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me,' Snoop said in an introductory video. In North Wales, Wrexham are dreaming of an extraordinary promotion to the Premier League this season on the back of the lucrative support of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney. Meanwhile, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham City, very much the second club in England's second city after Premier League outfit Aston Villa. Brady says his is a 'visionary role' and he tries – not always successfully – to pass on his experience of winning seven Super Bowl winner's rings to the Birmingham players and their young manager, Chris Davies. But why do so many celebrities want to invest a slice of their fortunes into the Championship? Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore No service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT due to power fault: SBS Transit Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor seizes four Singapore-registered vehicles for illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Attack on my son is a 'warning' to silence me, says Malaysian MP Rafizi Ramli World Trump says Putin ready to make deal on Ukraine as leaders prepare for Alaska meeting Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength Christopher Winn, course leader at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), told AFP the principal reason was because they see it as an attractive investment – with the carrot of the Premier League's riches if the team can gain promotion proving irresistible. 'There is the notion of long-term returns, in other words buying low (in a lower league) and selling high,' he said. 'While on-field success and subsequent off-field returns are no guarantee, should the promised land of the Premier League be reached, a significant profit would likely be generated on any future sale of the club, in other words generating returns for investors well beyond their initial investment and operational outlay. 'Granted, that does not mean the investors are all out to make a return – football can often be a game of utility maximisation after all, and for some a personally funded passion project.' Brady's friend and co-owner at Birmingham, the New York-based investor Tom Wagner, reveals they originally tried to buy a Premier League team but the deal fell through. Then the chance to snap up Birmingham presented itself. 'We thought we could make some money, have a good return, which is our ultimate objective, so we just couldn't pass it up,' Wagner says. In Wagner and Brady's first season, Birmingham crashed down into League One, or England's third division, but with Davies in charge they emphatically secured promotion to the Championship this year, romping away with the League One title with a record points total. That was largely due to the Americans' injection of funds for new players such as forward Jay Stansfield, acquired from Premier League club Fulham for £15 million, a huge fee for League One. Celebrities are active behind the scenes at other Championship clubs. Birmingham kicked off the season last week with a 1-1 home draw against Ipswich Town, who count multi-million-selling music star Ed Sheeran among their financial backers. Ipswich confirmed last year that Sheeran had bought a 1.4 per cent stake in his local club and he has been the shirt sponsor for the last four years – although in a cautionary tale for other star owners, his involvement did not stop Ipswich being relegated from the Premier League last season. AFP
