The busy film actor Oliver Masucci (“Schachnovelle”) played on a theater stage for the first time in many years. The 55-year-old slipped into the role of magic teacher Severus Snape for the first time on Thursday evening in the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. Masucci’s premiere in the Mehr! Theater at Hamburg’s wholesale market was the first of ten guest performances planned until March 10th.
Masucci appeared primarily at the beginning of the second part of the more than three-hour piece. Nevertheless, he received the most applause alongside the “Harry Potter” ensemble – including a purple and white bouquet of flowers. He thanked the audience with kisses and bows after an entertaining play.
“All the scenes are fun. But what’s incredibly fun, of course, is waving that magic wand and then things really happen,” Masucci told the dpa news agency before his appearance.
Masucci: “I only eat tofu right now”
For his role as magic teacher Snape, Masucci not only had to learn lines and movement sequences, but also had to get physically fit with a trainer. “The most important thing is that the body works. Otherwise the whole thing doesn’t work,” said Masucci. To do this, he also changed his diet. “I’m just eating tofu right now.”
The role as Hogwarts teacher Snape was not Masucci’s first contact with the fantastic world of Harry Potter written by J. K. Rowling. In the film “Fantastic Beasts 3: Dumbledore’s Secrets” he most recently played the chairman of the International Wizarding Association Anton Vogel alongside stars such as Mads Mikkelsen and Jude Law.
The play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, which revolves around the adult sorcerer’s apprentice Harry Potter and his son, has been performed in Hamburg since the end of 2021. More than 800,000 visitors have already seen the work in the Hanseatic city. It has already been performed almost 600 times.
