For the record, my love of Disney is only rivalled by my love of Harry Potter. Since I was a child I have been obsessed with the magical world created by Queen J.K. Rowling, so when I found out that a new play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was coming to London, I queued online (for a solid 10 minutes because I was luckily placed right at the front of the queue) to nab tickets in its first release. And boy, am I glad I did!
I've never really done theatre reviews on here before, despite the fact that I am obsessed with anything West End/Broadway related, but I thought it was only right to give my view on the new play that's got everyone talking! Don't worry, I'll definitely be 'keeping the secrets' and there will be no spoilers here!
I absolutely loved this play. From the get go I was totally immersed in the world of Harry Potter but in a completely new way that I had never seen before. If you don't know, the play tells the story of the events after the end of the Deathly Hallows, and follows Harry's son Albus Potter.
The main thing that absolutely blew me away was the technical staging and effects that are used in this play. They are THE best I have ever seen and truly brought the magic to life right before my very eyes. There were moments when I was actually sitting there gobsmacked, asking myself "How on Earth did they do that?!" The effects really are the star of the show here and really do provide some of the most amazing entertainment, even better than some of the CGI from the films!
The second thing I adored was, of course, the characters. I've seen a lot of criticism online about the play from people who have only read the script about the characters acting completely different from the books, however from seeing it on stage I think their actions are completely justified. I'm not sure if this is down to the skills of the actors, or just being able to physically witness the emotions that they are facing, but I think people forget that this story is set nineteen years after the books, so the changes are entirely reasonable.
Actors who really stood out to me were Anthony Boyle as Scorpius, who was both lovable and hilarious throughout, as well as Sam Clemmett who really knocked it out of the park as Albus, giving some really emotional performances. Another spectacularly entertaining role came from Annabel Baldwin as Moaning Myrtle who made me really want to be her in this play; something I never thought I'd say!
Of course, as much as I loved the play there were a few things that made me go "ehhh". To me, the story isn't extremely original and I think a lot of people will find it difficult to believe a lot of it is canonical with the books, which I definitely did at certain points. I think that if your heart is truly set on the events of the book and its ending, then it's better to accept the play as a rather separate entity.
Overall, definitely a must see production! Despite the lengthy run time, I never found myself bored or without something to look at. It's truly spellbinding and an experience I will remember for a very long time!
Let me know in the comments if you've seen the play or read the script, and what you thought!
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