Evanna Lynch Stars in Immersive Cork Midsummer Festival Production as Harry Potter Series Looms
Irish actress Evanna Lynch delivered a critically acclaimed performance in a site-specific production of Mark Ravenhill's Pool (No Water) at the Cork Midsummer Festival, staged in the atmospheric setting of a disused swimming pool beneath the Metropole Hotel — while also offering her first public comments on the upcoming Harry Potter television series, expressing genuine warmth for the new cast alongside an honest admission that she would be a little envious of their experience.
Background
Evanna Lynch, who grew up in Termonfeckin, County Louth, became one of the most beloved figures in the Harry Potter film franchise through her portrayal of Luna Lovegood — the dreamy, eccentric Ravenclaw student who became a fan favourite across the eight-film series. Lynch's casting was itself a remarkable story: she was a devoted fan of the books who wrote to J.K. Rowling during a difficult period in her life and who subsequently auditioned for the role of Luna against thousands of other hopefuls, winning it on the strength of a performance that captured the character's otherworldly quality with uncanny precision.
Since the conclusion of the Harry Potter films, Lynch has built a diverse career in theatre, television, and film, as well as becoming a prominent advocate for eating disorder awareness — a cause she has championed with great personal courage, drawing on her own experience of anorexia as a teenager. Her return to the stage in a challenging, adult-oriented production at the Cork Midsummer Festival represents a significant step in her theatrical career and a demonstration of the range she has developed since her Luna Lovegood days.
The Cork Midsummer Festival, now in its twenty-second year, is one of Ireland's most adventurous arts festivals, known for commissioning and presenting work that takes risks with form, content, and venue. The decision to stage Pool (No Water) in a disused swimming pool beneath the Metropole Hotel is characteristic of the festival's approach — finding unexpected spaces and using them to create theatrical experiences that could not happen anywhere else.
Key Developments
Mark Ravenhill's Pool (No Water) is a dark, intense play that explores the dynamics of a group of friends — all artists — who gather at the bedside of one of their number after a near-fatal accident. The play examines jealousy, ambition, creativity, and the complex emotions that can exist beneath the surface of close friendships, and it makes significant demands on its cast in terms of both physical and emotional commitment. The decision to stage it in a disused swimming pool — a space that is simultaneously intimate and disorienting — added a further layer of meaning to a production that was already rich in theatrical possibility.
Lynch's performance was received with considerable critical enthusiasm, with reviewers noting the depth and vulnerability she brought to her role and the way in which her physical presence in the unusual space contributed to the production's unsettling atmosphere. The Everyman theatre, which presented the production, described it as one of the highlights of the festival's closing weekend. Speaking at a festival event, Lynch addressed the upcoming Harry Potter television series — the HBO production that will retell the story of the books with an entirely new cast. She expressed genuine happiness for the actors who will take on the iconic roles, describing the material as beautiful and well-written. But she was also honest about her emotional response: I would be a little envious, she said, acknowledging the unique experience of inhabiting those characters and that world.
Why It Matters
Lynch's appearance at the Cork Midsummer Festival is a reminder of the depth of Irish theatrical talent and of the importance of festivals like Cork Midsummer in providing platforms for that talent to develop and be seen. The festival's willingness to take risks — with venues, with material, with casting — is what distinguishes it from more conventional arts programming, and Lynch's involvement in a challenging, site-specific production is exactly the kind of work that the festival exists to support.
Her comments on the Harry Potter series also matter in the context of the enormous cultural significance of that franchise. The HBO series, which is expected to be one of the most watched television productions of the decade, will introduce a new generation of actors to roles that Lynch and her colleagues made iconic. Her generous response to that prospect — acknowledging her own feelings honestly while expressing genuine support for the new cast — is characteristic of the thoughtfulness and emotional intelligence that have made her such a respected figure beyond the world of entertainment.
Local Impact
The Cork Midsummer Festival's closing weekend drew significant audiences to Cork city, with the site-specific productions and outdoor events attracting visitors from across Munster and beyond. The Metropole Hotel, which hosted the Pool (No Water) production, is a landmark of Cork's cultural geography, and the use of its disused swimming pool as a theatrical space will be remembered as one of the festival's most inventive programming decisions. The Everyman theatre, which co-produced the show, has seen strong audience engagement throughout the festival season, and the success of the Lynch production will strengthen its case for continued Arts Council support in the years ahead.
What's Next
Lynch is expected to continue her theatrical work in the coming months, with further productions in development. The Cork Midsummer Festival will begin planning its 2027 programme in the autumn, with the success of this year's closing weekend providing a strong foundation for future ambition. The HBO Harry Potter series is expected to begin production later this year, with a release date anticipated in 2027 or 2028 — and Lynch's comments suggest she will be watching with a mixture of pride and wistfulness when it arrives.
