EDINBURGH.- A new work about the controversial comments of the author of Harry Potter, J.K. RowlingAbout people transgnero arrived today – August 1st – to the famous festival Edinburgh, one of the largest performing arts events in the world.
The work, called TERRIFICimagine the actors from the film adaptations of the saga arguing with the writer who maintains that biological gender is immutable.
“It’s an intervention by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to tell JK Rowling to stop talking nonsense on Twitter,” Trelawny Kean, who plays Emma Watson, told AFP.
Controversy in X for comments from J.K. Rowling
The writer’s frequent and virulent X-rated posts on this topic – at the centre of the UK’s culture wars – earned her the label of a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF).
For its author and director, Joshua Kaplan, TERRIFIC seeks to shed light on transgender rights and the disappearance of nuances on the subject on social media.
“The work explores how social media has contaminated the way we conduct discussions and how nuances have been lost,” he said.
Concerned, the production took precautionary measures by changing the title and the performance venue. And the trans character in the play will remain anonymous in the programmes.
“We hope our company is strong enough to deal with all the nonsense on this issue,” said Barry Church Woods, producer of the play and co-founder of the production company Civil Disobedience. “Really concerned about the violence of the exchanges on these issues.”
Fun, with a family dynamic
JK Rowling lives in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital that hosts the world’s largest live performance festival every August, attracting thousands of new works and a host of artists.
“Presenting the work there, as part of the festival, has nothing to do with the writer’s ties to the city,” said Kaplan.
The debate surrounding transgender rights is intense in Scotland. The local government approved a law in 2022 to facilitate gender reassignment, which was ultimately blocked by the central government in London.
The series’ cast, who played Harry, Hermione and Ron in all eight films, have spoken out about their difficult relationships with JK Rowling.
Daniel Radcliffe, the young wizard’s interpreter, said that he no longer has contact with her, and said he was saddened by the events.
JK Rowling, who has not spoken publicly about the work, sparked controversy in December 2019 by expressing her support for a researcher who had been fired for tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex.
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson distance themselves from the writer
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson distanced themselves from the writer, even as she detailed her position at length and announced that she had been a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence.
She defends herself against any transphobia, becoming a heroine for some feminists and, at the same time, a target for radical transgender activists.
“The play itself is very funny, with a family dynamic between the three actors and the author,” said actress Trelawny Kean. “It is interspersed with scenes from Jo’s (JK Rowling’s) past, which give hints as to the reasons for her opinions,” she added.
Like actors, many Harry Potter fans struggle to reconcile their love for the author’s work with her controversial stances.
In this work, Kaplan wishes to address head-on the fact that one can love art and disagree with the artist.
FUENTE: AFP
