#KeepTheSecrets is the message delivered at the end of both parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. No worries here as will you not need any spoiler alerts. That is a major reason I started theaterreviewsfrommyseat. Theater, especially Broadway, is a sizable investment and too many reviews contain detailed plot summaries which I believe unnecessarily spoil the experience. As a fan and reader of all the books, I was eagerly anticipating this full day extravaganza.
The Showbill contains a four page “Journey to the Eighth Story” which acts as a refresher and a brief primer for muggles who arrive not knowing the significance of the lightning bolt scar. We are told that this play takes place nineteen years later. Harry is now 37 years old. He, Ginny, Ron and Hermoine watch their children board the Hogwarts Express. It certainly helps to know this series though. When the audience gasps, it’s more fun to know why.
What’s the verdict? First and foremost, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is beautifully faithful to the tone of the series and its characters. There’s still a young adult vibe. The patented mixture of humor, drama, magic, friendship, adolescent angst and adventure is all there. The play was written by Jack Thorne based on an original story he co-created with J.K. Rowling and the Director, John Tiffany. The result is a believable continuation to the series in combination with the required theatrical magic expectations of a nostalgic, well-informed audience.
What turns this play into riveting fantasy isn’t simply our good fortune in spending more time with these characters. The creativity is everywhere. The set design by Christine Jones is remarkable. The original score by Imogen Heap is cinematic and breathtaking. Steven Hoggett’s choreography is stunning and inventive, nominated for a Tony despite this not being a musical. The visual effects raise the bar for Broadway magic.
And the actors deliver the goods. Jaime Parker (Harry Potter) and Noma Dumezweni (Hermoine Granger) were especially fine. The casting of Alex Price as Draco Malfoy and Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley are ideal. But it is Anthony Boyle’s portrayal of Scorpius Malfoy that steals the show in a bravura performance. This epic has a forty person cast. Mr. Tiffany’s direction paces this grand adventure’s plot to maximize the seemingly unending peaks and stunning surprises; no small achievement.
Any problems to note? The five hour experience does contain some story exposition here and there. Every minute cannot be thrilling, extraordinary and astonishing. I do have a favorite scene which blew me away. Oh, that does not really narrow it down very well. I was continually impressed by an avalanche of truly memorable moments. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a supremely creative fresh new monument to this beloved series. You’ll have to see it for yourself to guess my favorite scene. My pick will undoubtedly be in your top five, guaranteed.
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