With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child open at the Palace Theatre in the West End, Delilah O’Riordan plays Lily Potter Jnr alongside a cast including her on-stage father David Ricardo-Pearce as Harry Potter. Whilst in the show, Delilah has featured on an episode of Blue Peter and performed at the play’s seventh anniversary, and she made her West End debut in 2019 as Young Éponine in Les Misérables. In the feature film Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, Delilah played Rosie Cunningham, the oldest of five siblings, with Scott Garnham playing her father Matt and Scott Paige playing Beano, with the film written and directed by Debbie Isitt. Delilah appeared in an episode of Call the Midwife in 2022 as Carole, and she is in the cast of the upcoming Robert Zemeckis film Here with Michelle Dockery and Gwilym Lee, which is based on a graphic novel by Robert McGuire. Answering our questions, Delilah chatted to us about playing Lily Potter Jnr in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, making her West End debut as Young Éponine in Les Misérables and filming for Christmas on Mistletoe Farm as Rosie Cunningham.

How are you finding your time in the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End?

I am loving every minute, as being part of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child company is genuinely a magical experience. I love it so much that my dream is to return one day as part of the adult cast. I’m itching to join in the wand dance and would also especially love to play the role of Delphi Diggory when I am old enough.

Every day in the theatre is enormous fun but there have also been some extra specially wonderful experiences. I was fortunate to do a feature on the play for Blue Peter where I got to do some of the tricks usually only performed by the adult cast so that was amazing. I was also performing on the day of the seventh anniversary of the play where there was an enormous HP cake served at the end of the play. Another special occasion was performing in the cover run where understudies stepped up into the lead roles and an audience made from school children with little theatre experience together with family and friends were watching. This audience were electric reacting with incredible enthusiasm to every piece of magic and it felt like we were rock stars! The change of cast between years six and seven was fascinating to watch as I loved seeing the different aspects the actors bring to the characters.

What is it like working on a Harry Potter production and how much did you know about the Cursed Child story before auditioning?

As I have an older brother, I was exposed to the Harry Potter stories from a very young age. At age two, my mum found me crying out of frustration with my wand because I couldn’t make my spells work. She consoled me by saying I wouldn’t know whether I was a witch until age 11. So it was incredible that at age 11 I did get my letter from the company literally welcoming me to Hogwarts. Arriving at the theatre for the first time was quite surreal and terribly exciting – in fact, that thrill of arriving at the theatre hits me every time I get there. I have been amazed by all the magic within the play and loved learning how everything works. The production is so clever and carefully put together and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be part of it. The adult cast from both years six and seven are wonderful, great fun and so inclusive of the child cast. We have coffee mornings with cakes on Sunday in the children’s dressing room to give the children a good chance to get to know the whole cast and that helps the whole company feel like a strongly bonded team. All the children from this and the previous cast have been wonderfully fun and friendly and every minute we spend together is special. Our head chaperone, David Russell, is a real joker and we have so much laughter with him too.

I had actually seen the play three months before I was cast and loved it so I did know the story before I started working on the play. Backstage is darker than in a usual theatre and instructions precise to ensure everything runs as it should. I love standing in the wings before a scene.

When I am at the theatre I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I always wanted to go to Hogwarts and finally I did!

How is it getting into character as Lily Potter Jnr and what is it like performing at the Palace Theatre?

Out of all the characters I have played, I think Lily is the most similar to me in personality and temperament. She is happy, confident and full of fun and energy. Lily is very close to her brother James, who she has enormous fun with and together they tease their other brother Albus, who is a bit of a loner. So getting into character for Lily is quite natural. Usually before the show, I meet my brother James, played by Harry Goodson-Bevan, who is genuinely really funny, to exchange banter and practice our handshake. Uncle Ron, Thomas Aldridge, usually comes over to tell a joke or play a prank too. Albus, played by Ellis Rae, joins us with a high five and then our dad Harry Potter, played by David Ricardo-Pearce (DRP), greets us, his children, where we discuss Lily’s homework and recent activities. DRP always calls Lily his favourite child much to the annoyance of my brothers! So by the time the music begins, we are thoroughly in character and raring to go.

Every time I arrive at the theatre, I am awestruck by the building. It is without doubt one of the most magnificent theatres in the West End and I love working there. I am fascinated by the history of the theatre and love to hear the stories from our amazing chaperone, David Russell, about previous productions and things that occurred in the building. Being at the Palace Theatre with the cast of The Cursed Child is the happiest place in the world for me.

You played Young Éponine in Les Misérables in 2019, what did you enjoy most about performing in the musical and how was it making your West End debut with the show?

I was very fortunate to be in the new production of Les Misérables, which meant that the children were part of the process while the show was established including the tech week. This meant firstly that all 11 children spent lots of time together and established great friendships but also that we were lucky enough to sit in the best seats in the house in an empty theatre and watch the incredible musical being rehearsed over and over again. I was completely mesmerised and fell in love with it.

Young Éponine is a fabulously fun character to play as she is spoilt, sassy and vain. One of my favourite moments in the show is when Éponine stands on a table and, on a particular beat of the music, she and Madame Thénardier, (Josefina Gabrielle at the time) strike a pose simultaneously because the audience always laughed. Aside from Éponine, I also got to play a starving child in the Paris scene, which was a very different character, and I developed a little routine begging for some bread from Valjean (Jon Robyns), chatting with Gavroche and then one of the ensemble would bring something small on stage to give to me like a sweet each night.

Again, the Les Misérables company was so special to belong to and I loved every minute I spent there. Every night when I heard the orchestra strike up, my heart would soar. I have so many special memories including that I would be in the wings when Vajean (Jon Robyns) and Javert (Bradley Jaden) exited from their fight scene and they would be so pumped after such a dramatic scene they would always jump and high five me as they passed. Or that on a Saturday double show day before the evening performance, Jon Robyns would pretend to be a DJ over the sound system and declare it to be ‘Saturday night at the Sondheim’ before playing a song to which we would all sing and dance to in our dressing rooms. Josefina Gabrielle, who played Madame Thénardier, was particularly kind to the children – always visiting our dressing room to see how we were.

Making my West End debut was like living a double life – I was a normal schoolgirl by day, but at night I was living my dream. I think I worked harder at school because I wanted to make sure they’d always let me keep performing and my headmaster said while he had expected me to look tired I was more energised and happier than he had ever seen me.

Can you tell us about your character Rosie Cunningham in Christmas on Mistletoe Farm and what was she like to play?

Rosie Cunningham is the eldest of five siblings and, in the absence of their mother, has become the protective leader of the pack. Her dad is always asking Rosie to help do things for her siblings, which she is happy to do. She is quite subdued and sad at the beginning but I feel the move to the farm allows her to be a child again and enjoy fun with her siblings as well as help care for them. She is definitely happier on the farm belonging to the extended family of the village. I loved playing Rosie and, as the oldest, did feel genuinely protective of and caring towards my Cunningham siblings, who are definitely lifelong friends. Making this film was a child’s dream as we spent almost seven weeks playing together on a farm. We learned to knit and ride quad bikes, went cycling, fishing and swimming (which was freezing), danced and sang and even had Home Alone-style revenge on the property developers.

Rosie is also a tomboy, which I am not! When I was invited to the audition I knew they wanted a tomboy so I borrowed my brother’s West Ham football kit and, having just come from a Bolshoi Ballet Intensive course, pulled out my bun pins to mess up my hair as we made our way there. I didn’t mention the ballet and violin only but my sporting activities and street dancing, which I thought sounded more like the activities of a tomboy!

What was it like filming alongside the rest of the cast, including Scott Garnham as your on- screen father Matt, and being directed by Debbie Isitt?

The cast of Mistletoe Farm were so much fun. We were all staying in the same hotel and so would bump into one another often and chat which meant we got to know each other. As I’ve already said, the children formed an instant bond and we spent our evenings after filming playing games in the hotel garden.

Scott Garnham is a lovely man and absolutely nothing like the grumpy dad he appears to be at the start of the film. We called him Scott-Dad, as there were two Scotts in the film! He was kind and would give us his coat or hand warmers on set if we were cold. He also made me laugh a lot – I remember one day when mid-scene one of my siblings accidentally fell over, luckily they were not hurt, and one look at Scott struggling not to laugh left me in stitches. Scott has a beautiful little girl called Lily-Rose and the characters Lily and Rosie in the film were named after her.

Working with Debbie Isitt was an incredible experience. Her audition was a very different style to any other I had attended and was enormous fun. The two Scotts were there and we started by playing duck, duck, goose with them – the noise in the room was deafening as we all screamed with excitement and laughter. Then, for the rest of the audition, we were given scenes in groups which we had to improvise, such as arriving at a farm as a child from the city. I really enjoyed the whole thing. Although I had done some filming before, this was the biggest filming role I had had so far and Debbie taught me so many things that I will never forget. It was also interesting that, unlike most filming jobs, we filmed the story in sequence and didn’t know what we’d be doing until the day arrived – I think this was to capture the most natural reactions from the children. I will always be so grateful to her for choosing me to play Rosie and really hope to work with Debbie again one day.

There were so many wonderful cast members, and too many to mention here, but we spent a lot of time with Scott Paige (or Scott Beano), who was brilliant and such a joker.

One person who had a huge impression on me was the amazing Celia Imrie. She is as lovely in person as she appears on screen. For the finale, we had to learn a dance sequence which was shared online but Celia’s iPad was refusing to download the video so I offered to teach her. We spent an hour-and-a-half together dancing, taking breaks every so often to chat and sip tea. She told me stories from her childhood and her career which fascinated me especially how she managed not to laugh when filming the Two Soups sketch with Julie Walters. I felt very lucky to have this experience and she still keeps in touch with us. Celia has many wise words to share. I once told her that one day I would like to be just like her and she told me, ‘Oh no, darling – you must be your glorious self!’.

What are some of your favourite memories from filming Christmas on Mistletoe Farm?

There are so many special memories, it is hard to choose.

Each morning, Grant, our driver, would arrive to collect us from the hotel. He had covered his minibus with Christmas decorations and would play carols loudly to put us in the mood.

One fond memory was April Fools’ Day when we were due to meet the chaperones in the hotel reception to go to set. The five Cunningham children hid and one by one our parents texted the chaperones giving various excuses saying we were not able to film that day. As a chaperone was starting to ring production, we all ran down the stairs shouting April Fool. They were very relieved.

We loved riding the quad bikes. In one take, the man in charge of quad bike safety was checking the others but said I was ready to go so I drove chasing the property developers with everyone screaming ‘Go on, Rosie!’. It was so special and I felt like a hero.

I remember filming the scene where I held Jingle the lamb. I was taught by the animal experts how to hold him and we started filming. Every time the barn door was slammed shut in the scene, Jingle would jump and wriggle. I found strength I didn’t know I had to keep holding him take after take but my arms ached that night. Oh, and the piglets and kid goats were so cute – we got to hold them.

I remember Christmas dinner in our trailer one day with crackers and it was extra special for me as my brother did work experience on set that day too and came in to see us.

One evening, as we filmed singing Lonely This Christmas, real snow actually started falling on us, which was unexpected in April and it felt so magical. It didn’t persist through all the takes so I don’t think they could use it but it was a beautiful moment.

Filming the Hoe-Down Snow-Down was an amazing night. Our costumes were fabulous and the whole cast were together for that scene, singing and dancing. I felt so happy and so very lucky to be there.

I’ll never forget the night we wrapped. Our parents were all brought down to watch us shoot the final scene late at night. One minute we were immersed in filming and then suddenly Debbie shouted, ‘And that’s a wrap for Christmas on Mistletoe Farm!’. Crew came forward with baskets of gifts for us and then, when we got back to the hotel, our parents had set up a little party in the bar just for us, which was the perfect end to the perfect job!

How was your time playing Carole in an episode of Call the Midwife in 2022?

Call the Midwife was my first filming job so it was very special. I remember a car coming to collect us at 6am and, although I am not usually a morning person, I was so excited I was wide awake and ready. I made my mum laugh by wearing my sunglasses, which were not needed at 6am, in the hope of looking like a real TV actress!! COVID was still evident when we filmed so we had special masks to wear and I remember the COVID expert measuring the distance between me and the cameraman. After hair and makeup at base, we took cars to the set and I remember being amazed as the set made me feel like we’d stepped back in time. I was also struck by the wardrobe lady who had all sorts of tools and materials hanging from her like the Saucepan Man from The Faraway Tree – I have never seen anyone better equipped before or since. There were lots of little girls in our scene and I was surprised when between each take a team of ladies armed with hairspray and brushes would run in and check our hair and faces.

At the lunch break, I was in my trailer and waved out of the window at the back to Megan Cusack and Ella Bruccoleri, who play Nancy and Sister Frances, they beckoned to me to come and join them. They got deckchairs for us all and we ate our lunch together and chatted. They were so kind and such fun telling me entertaining stories. They said my cockney accent reminded them of the little boy from Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which I hope was a compliment. They took me to the catering truck to get ice lollies and it is a special lunchtime I will never forget!!

We understand you are in the cast of the upcoming Robert Zemeckis film Here, is there anything you can tell us about filming the project and what are you looking forward to for the release?

I can tell you it is based on a graphic novel by Robert McGuire and that I play the violin in the film. My parents are played by Michelle Dockery and Gwilym Lee, who were so great to work with. I can also tell you I was blown away by the costume department who went to so much time and trouble to perfect tiny details of my outfits. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the costume department and hope Joanna Johnson will design costumes for me again one day. She made me feel beautiful. Robert Zemeckis is an incredible man to work with – he is calm and kind but has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve. I almost had to pinch myself when he and I stood on set chatting about my character. I cannot wait to see the final product!

How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do professionally?

From a very young age, I had a few favourite characters that I liked to pretend to be such as Flora from New York, and people would say I should get into drama. I also watched my older brother performing in a local pantomime each year and I managed to get on stage for the finale aged two so when I was three they let me have my own role with lines and I instantly knew that this was something I loved to do.

One day when I was four years old, my mum took me with my brother and sister to the little playground in Drury Lane. Suddenly, the gate opened and a group of children entered, one of whom was wearing a wig cap. I went to chat to them and discovered that they were the child cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I asked them lots of questions and told them how much I’d loved being in panto. They were the loveliest group of children and told me one day I would perform just like them. They kindly welcomed me into their game of tag even though being so much younger I must have slowed them down and one boy called out to everyone to be careful of me as I was little.

I did various local drama school shows over the next few years and then aged eight was asked to play the lead in The Canterville Ghost at the Brookside Theatre, Romford. By the time The Canterville Ghost opened, I had been cast in Les Misérables so life was very exciting. I was due to stay in Les Misérables for nine more months but obviously COVID hit and the theatres closed in March 2020. At that point, we decided it was time for me to get an agent and I was very lucky that Byron’s Management Agency took me on straight away. I feel very fortunate being represented by Byron’s as they are so supportive and have opened the door to such amazing opportunities for me. I am so grateful to them for everything.

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

That is a tough question as I love so many and I enjoy seeing theatre, TV and film of any kind.

Last year in theatre, I was struck by Jamie Lloyd’s production of Sunset Boulevard with the stark set and clever use of videography. This year, I am really looking forward to watching Adam Wadsworth (Scorpius Malfoy from Year Six of The Cursed Child) in Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe Theatre. I also have to admit to loving anything by the Mischief Theatre company. Henry Lewis and Nancy Zammit never fail to leave me crying with laughter. Of course, I love all the classic musicals and any straight theatre too.

For television, I love Modern Family and The Goldbergs, and would adore to be in a show like those family sitcoms.

The Harry Potter films are definite favourites of mine. I also love heist films such as the Ocean’s series and would adore to work on a project like this. I thought Catch Me If You Can was fascinating too. The Love Punch is great as I adore Celia Imrie’s character offering egg sandwiches at the most unlikely of times.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I have the performing arts scholarship to an amazing school so I am very busy with choirs, orchestras, dance and drama there. I also do a lot of dancing outside school – I am a Dang Associate and train with The Jones Academy on Saturdays. I was also in the London Children’s Ballet production of Anne of Green Gables in 2022 and would love to perform with them again. I very much enjoy family time – eating together and playing games. I’m very close to my brother and sister.

Have you been given any advice throughout your time as an actor so far that has stuck with you?

Someone once wisely told me that you won’t be right for every job you go for but that every no you get takes you one step closer to your next yes! I think that is a good way of thinking about auditions.

At the end of a project, it is always sad to say goodbye when you have had so much fun. Celia Imrie told me she never says goodbye but instead, ‘I’ll see you up the road’, which I really liked.

What are you hoping this year brings for your career?

I am always very appreciative of any opportunity that I am given so would be excited for any new project. After workshopping Stranger Things: The First Shadow last summer, while still at The Cursed Child, I think I would like to be in a horror movie to do something very different. I would also adore to work on a sitcom series. I am also excited about Here being released and am really hoping to be invited to the premiere and walk on the red carpet! Honestly, I’d be excited for any opportunity I was given.

Whenever I am lucky enough to get a role, my mum collects me from school and subtly starts calling me the name of the character. Often at first I don’t notice and then when the penny drops I squeal with delight. So I am crossing my fingers for another moment like that.

I am always amazed by the connections between the people you work with in this industry. My Les Mis dad is friends with my currently Uncle Ron and so many more so I hope this means I will get to work again with some of the lovely people I have already met as well as meeting new people.

I have made some wonderful friends and incredible memories throughout the work I have been lucky to do so far. I feel very fortunate and am excited for what the future holds.

Delilah O’Riordan is represented by Byron’s Management www.byronsmanagement.co.uk

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