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Aspen for Cheapskates
Once I performed to thousands; now I tell jokes to 50 people in a basement, but leaving my dream role felt like freedom, not quitting
When you have an experience that’s elevated to the level of “magical”, there’s a sense that people don’t want to hear what it was really like. Your wedding day. The birth of a child. Being cast in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. You know, the classic milestones. There’s an untouchability about something that’s supposed to be wondrous that means we shy away from hearing about the full spectrum of the experience. I was cast as Moaning Myrtle in 2018 and took over the role of Delphi in 2020. I stayed with the show for just over three years, performing in Melbourne’s beautiful Princess theatre. To be abundantly clear from the outset, being a part of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was a truly incredible experience and I don’t regret a moment. I’m grateful for the stability and security it offered me, I carry a sense of enormous pride at having been part of the brilliant Australian company, and it remains one of the single greatest experiences of my life.
It was also very hard work. Any commercial theatre show demands a huge commitment from its company. This one demanded more than anyone involved had ever experienced. The hours were long and the work was physically and mentally exhausting. The standard required demanded the utmost from every single department. Never before have I seen so many people working at the absolute top of their game.
Gillian Cosgriff is an actor, singer, writer, musician, composer and comedian. She is performing Actually, Good at the Edinburgh festival fringe
