Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts I and II)

harrypotterandthecursedchild London, UK:
Opened at the Palace Theatre, 30 July 2016 (previews from 7 June 2016)
The original booking period was to May 27 2017.
The run was suspended in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and reopened on Friday 15th October 2021.
Now booking to May 2023

Broadway, NYC, USA:
The Lyric Theatre official opening April 22, 2018. Previews from March 16 2018.

Melbourne, Australia:
Opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne on January 16 2019

San Francisco, CA, USA
The Curran, from Autumn 2019

Hamburg, Germany
Mehr! Theater am Großmarkt, from Spring 2020

Official website: http://www.harrypottertheplay.com

2017

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two Playscript
Buy at
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Creative Team

Director: John Tiffany
Playwright: Jack Thorne
Based on an original story by: J.K.Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
Movement Director: Steven Hoggett
Set Designer: Christine Jones
Costume Design: Katrina Lindsay
Composer & Arranger: Imogen Heap
Lighting Designer: Neil Austin [interview]
Sound Designer: Gareth Fry
Illusions & Magic: Jamie Harrison
Music Supervisor & Arranger: Martin Lowe
Special Effects: Jeremy Chernick
Casting Director: Julia Horan CDG
Original Production Manager: Gary Besstone
Original Production Stage Manager: Sam Hunter
Associate Director: Des Kennedy
Associate Movement Director: Neil Bettles
Associate Set Designer: Brett J. Banakis
Associate Sound Designer: Pete Malkin

Original London Cast, 2016

Lighting Design – Neil Austin

Some beautifully subtle lighting effects, working with haze and projection to transform the blank canvas of the set into a huge variety of locations.
Particularly impressive are the battens used to backlight the train chase sequence – it looks like they’re pixel mapped to provide a sense of movement (along with wind effects) whilst still ensuring the relevant cast members are lit.
However, the most impressive aspect of the lighting design is what isn’t lit. Many of the illusions in the show require very subtle lighting effects to ensure that the audience is looking at the right thing, and that they don’t notice the secrets which enable the illusions to operate.
Lighting Cues: 1054 (from World Theatre Day social media post)

Interview with Neil Austin

Keep the Secrets – Magic & Illusion

There are a number of wonderful recreations of classic stage illusions during the show (particularly during Part 1), all of which are carried out with a great deal of skill and using traditional (and therefore very successful) theatrical techniques.
In particular the number of sudden appearances of certain characters in different parts of the stage is dizzyingly impressive. While similar ideas have been used in shows such as Our House and Groundhog Day, the sheer number of illusions and the pace at which they’re carried out is a joy to behold.
I won’t go into any more detail (#keepthesecrets) but any fans of magic and illusion should make every effort to see the show.

Set Design

Pottermore Feature

Sound Design

Very effective design which immerses the audience in the world of the show from the outset, with a train station atmospheric track playing as the audience enters. The complex and varied score by Imogen Heap is combined with hugely effective (and sometimes genuinely chilling) effects, particularly in Dementor sequences. Voices are clearly audible throughout, and the illusions are supported by suitable audio punctuations, further enhancing them.

Interview with Gareth Fry

There are 660 Sound Cues in the production