West End's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Returns as a One-Part Show

Ten years after its premiere, the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being staged at the Palace Theatre in London's West End in a new form: the former two-part production has been condensed into a single evening. A similar version is already running on Broadway, but altering a West End show that had come to seem fixed was a risk. The Guardian's reviewer concludes that the gamble has paid off and the show has lost none of its sparkle.

A tighter script

Jack Thorne's five-hour script has been squeezed into three hours. The reviewer notes that the plot can sometimes feel overwhelming, as key characters have been cut and dream sequences removed. The story is set nearly 20 years after J.K. Rowling's final book and follows Harry's youngest son, Albus, newly arrived at Hogwarts and determined to make a name distinct from his famous father. When Albus and his best friend Scorpius Malfoy find a time-turner, they unleash dark forces.

Direction and staging

The production is directed by John Tiffany. The reviewer singles out Steven Hoggett's movement direction, Christine Jones's set with its huge arches and dark open spaces, and the illusions by Jamie Harrison: swimming through shimmering lakes, flaming fireplaces, telephone boxes and dementors that sweep over the audience in the stalls.

Cast

At the performance reviewed, Albus was played by understudy Ewan Rutherford. Scorpius was played by Bill Stanley, in his West End debut. David Ricardo-Pearce plays Harry Potter, Thomas Aldridge is Ron, and Naana Agyei-Ampadu is Hermione. The reviewer stresses that the cast includes no superstar names.

The show runs at the Palace Theatre in London until 5 September.