Old News - but interesting

[Nick Mitchell]

No: HPFGUIDX 4942

Hi all

I've survived the storms undamaged... and it's not flooding where I am
either - maybe I was wise to buy a house on top of a hill.

Anyway, just been looking through some archives, and found this interesting
piece on The Times site regarding the Harry Potter play which a school in
England was to do prior to Christmas:

------- http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,24573,00.html

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25 2000

Rowling to visit school after banning its Potter play

BY DAVID CHARTER EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

J. K. ROWLING has apologised after lawyers forced her to withdraw permission
from a school to stage the world premiere of a Harry Potter play.
North Foreland Lodge School, Hampshire, thought it had beaten Hollywood to
stage the first performance of one of Ms Rowlings wizard stories. The
authors change of heart, which has devastated the teenage girl cast, came
after her advisers insisted that the school could not be allowed to set a
precedent, even though it was a charity event.

More than 1,000 requests to adapt Harry Potter for the stage had been turned
down but the schools request slipped through after its letter was
personally answered by the author.

Sue Cameron, headmistress of the 14,500-a-year boarding school, said that
the girls were upset about the decision. Andrew Fielding, the schools
actor-in-residence, who spent the summer adapting Harry Potter and the
Philosophers Stone, was now working overtime to find a new Christmas
production.

Ms Cameron said: We were over the moon when we got permission, so this was
a real bolt from the blue, like the magic wand of an evil wizard. She said
she attached no blame to Ms Rowling, who telephoned the school to arrange a
personal visit instead.

I spoke to her and she was very apologetic and embarrassed this had
happened and said she will come to visit. I think there is so much
contractual and legal rigmarole which she has not been used to before.

The fact that this has happened just shows the hype over the Harry Potter
phenomenon. But theres no point in crying over spilt milk. We are being
very positive and looking forward to her visit.

----

Just typical of Warner Bros.  Jo allows a school to perform a play, and WB
Lawyers come down like a ton of bricks - and Jo is left to pick up the
pieces.   I wonder what Jo thinks of WB now.

BTW, anyone worked out why WB have registered those trademarks which seem
like Book Titles yet?  I really must get down to writing to Jo and asking
her about those.

Nick.