Magic and Maternity: “Cursed Child” Stars Navigate Career and Pregnancy
When considering all the challenges that come with pregnancy, stepping out onto the stage night after night seems unimaginable. Lucy Goleby, who plays Ginny Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne, can imagine it, though. She’s done it twice.
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Goleby took to the stage as soon as Melbourne’s production began in February 2019, averaging eight shows each week. Though both her role and symptoms were physically demanding, she was determined to continue working. According to Goleby, who recalled her first pregnancy in an interview with the Age, it was an important precedent to set. “I said to [the producers], ‘I don’t think we should try to hide that I am pregnant; we don’t often get the opportunity to see pregnant actors on stage [sic].'”
And indeed, being pregnant and a working actor is no mean feat. Goleby expressed that morning sickness was a constant companion throughout both of her pregnancies. “It turns out pregnancy does not respond to Dr Footlights,” she said, referring to the feeling of wellness some actors say overtakes them during a performance. In Goleby’s case, nausea never waited for the curtains to come down.
Beyond pregnancy itself, Goleby noted further that it was also unusual to see an actor return to the stage after giving birth. This seemed to only echo a frustrating sentiment she was exposed to while studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art: You can have a career or be a mother, but not both.
“I’ve got some direct experience of frustration and losing my cool, but maybe a little more empathy.”
On stage Potter parents Gareth Reeves and Lucy Goleby talk about how parenting during the break has given them a better understanding of playing parents on stage#CursedChildAUS pic.twitter.com/z7Gk2JtiHD— Harry Potter and the Cursed Child AUS (@CursedChildAUS) March 12, 2021
Goleby skewered this notion by reprising her role as Ginny when her daughter, Mair, was six months old. Coming back onstage, however, was not without its difficulties. Her costumes, for example, had to be chosen with breastfeeding in mind. She would often use the few minutes she was offstage for this purpose. She recalled a notable performance in which a baby in the audience started crying and the resultant scramble to make sure she wasn’t leaking in response to the sound. She commended the show’s production company, the Michael Cassel Group, for their support of her return. “Everybody was committed to helping me make it work.”
Lucy Goleby exited the now one-part production in the seventh month of her second pregnancy. Reflective of her time as Ginny, and proud of her work, she leaves behind a strong example for actors with families.
A costume fit for a Minister for Magic! It’s #CursedChildCAN’s Sarah Afful dressed as Hermione Granger. And with Hermione’s famous hair, she’ll be ready for the stage.
📸: Richard Lautens, Toronto Star pic.twitter.com/noMjVmUPuu
— Harry Potter and the Cursed Child CAN (@cursedchildcan) May 18, 2022
She shares this legacy with another Cursed Child star, Sarah Afful, whose maternity leave began September 30. Afful, who plays Hermione in the Toronto production, will be welcoming her second child and currently plans to return to the stage. In the meantime, she will be temporarily replaced by Antionette Robinson. Robinson, who has performed extensively across the United States, is an excellent substitute, having recently starred in the Broadway production of Cursed Child.
