Back in 2016 I read the printed play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I was underwhelmed. The story with Albus and Scorpius was weak and the plot point of Voldemort having a daughter makes no sense. Here is my review from that read (at the time I was reviewing all the movies on my channel)
With such weak source material I was honestly surprised when the Broadway production came out to rave reviews concluding with it winning 6 Tony awards including Best Play (in 2018.) Then the high school edition became available and while I loved the teens I was again not the biggest fan of the play itself (particularly the run time.)
The whole time this was all happening friends and family kept telling me ‘the Broadway spectacle is unbelievable’ and insisting I would like it when I saw the professional production.
Well, now I have seen the national tour and…
They are mostly right. The spectacle really is amazing to watch.
The production of this national tour is directed by John Tiffany and the way the set combines physical set pieces like staircases and frames with projection videos is seamless and magical. I’ve heard the Broadway stage is even more immersive but they bring out the best of the Eccles for this national tour experience (set design by Christine Jones and video by Finn Ross and Ash J Woodward.) But what really impressed even more than the big spectacle was the smaller visual effects. When fire would come out of a wand or people would transform into another person it almost feels like actual magic is happening before your eyes (illusions by Jamie Harrison.) I don’t know how they pull off certain effects like shooting fire across the stage multiple times!
Fortunately these visual effects are constant enough that it allows us to forget about the bland and uninteresting story they picked for some unknown reason for Harry’s son Albus to go through in this sequel. The fact this tale is 6 hours in London makes me want to die. I will definitely never be reviewing that version. I can promise you that much.
As weak as I think the story is I do actually think the teen versions are a little more poignant in selling the emotions of the father/son dynamic between Harry and Albus. Being actual teenagers I feel their pain a little more acutely than I did with the national tour. I also felt the actors playing Albus (Adam Grant Morrison) and Scorpius (David Fine) are a little shouty in delivering their lines. While this makes sense for the action sequences it was harder to be invested in the performances in what should be softer more tender moments. I wanted to say stop shouting and just talk. The rest of the cast is entertaining and up for the physical demands of the long show but my favorite is probably Ryan Hallahan as Draco Malfoy and Katherine Leask as Professor McGonagall.
I did attend the play with a friend who is a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and she liked it but agreed about the weaknesses of the story. Like I said, it is more a play to be enjoyed for the spectacle of it and the immersive experience rather than for the story or profundity of the message. I suppose your mileage may vary depending on how much you enjoy theatrical spectacle. I had a fun time but I think it’s a one-and-done experience for me and unless teens ask me to see their new productions I will probably check Cursed Child off of my theater bucket list and be done with it. Let me know if you see it what you think. It is playing at the Eccles through October 11th and tickets can be purchased here.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is written by Jack Thorne with a story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany based on the Harry Potter novels by Rowling. It first premiered in 2016 in London with a Broadway production in 2018. That production was a two-parter over 6 hours in length which is still running in London. The current Broadway production is just under 2 hours like the national tour production I saw.
If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.
