Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

How Landing Stage got to play Harry Potter

Kannal Achuthan

Chennai: The Harry Potter books, characters and themes are protected worldwide by copyright and trademark laws, but a Chennai-based theatre group has succeeded in getting permission from author J.K. Rowling to perform a play based on the first book.

It all started with an e-mail that Manasi Subramaniam of Landing Stage theatre group wrote to Rowling’s literary agents – Christopher Little Literary Agency – in November 2006. She wanted to know if her youth theatre group could perform a play adapted from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. The literary agents responded immediately, but wanted to know exactly what the theatre group wanted to do. After a series of e-mails flying to and fro over two months, the agency approved the staging of the play.

Here’s what Romily Must, the agent at Christopher Little, wrote: “We are delighted by your enthusiasm for Harry Potter. As you can imagine, we are inundated with requests to use the trademark Harry Potter in association with all sorts of plays/musicals/themed events and fundraisers… We have developed guidelines to help us make certain the trademark and other protected materials are not misused… From the information you’ve provided, we are pleased to confirm that we permit your holding this play.”

“We wanted to donate the proceeds from the performances to charity. I think that’s what tilted the balance in our favour. We don’t have to pay royalty,” said Ms. Subramaniam, who scripted the musical play.

The play, directed by Aruna Ganesh Ram, will be staged at Chinmaya Heritage Centre from June 26 – 29. Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron Weasley are played by students from city schools, and Voldemort is played by a Vivekananda College student. There are 29 other children and teenagers who are also part of the play. The music is scored by Ashwath, also a student.

For more details on the shows, call 9841302016.

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