Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - SPOILER THREAD

[kathryn]

He is in both. Really: you need to see both.

[infofreako]

I dont think its feasible just seeing one or the other. Its one piece really and the 2 parts work together

[Deleted]

Go for part 1. They really are two parts of one story, that cannot be stated enough, so you may as well start with part 1 and then look to pick up part 2 later. (Or, if you're REALLY REALLY TAKEN with part 1, you then at least have the opportunity to change your mind and suck up the inconvenience of coming back for part 2.)

[nicnac]

Thanks for your comments - I'll go for the first one then. I know what you're saying about it being one, albeit very long, play but going to see this means taking time off work, sorting out domestic arrangements and a four hour round trip so two days in a row is a nightmare. I'd totally forgotten when my tickets were booked for as it was such a long time ago.

Really only seeing this for JP so wanting more bang for my buck! Having read the spoilers I would assume that he is on stage for a bit more in part 1. I think the returns small print says I need to return tickets 48 hours before hence really wanting to narrow down between the two.

[Deleted]

Movie version on the way apparently - in 2026!

www.digitalspy.com/movies/harry-potter/news/a819425/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-movie-trilogy-leaked-daniel-radcliffe-emma-watson-rupert-grint/

[Deleted]

Read the article though, it's very much from the perspective of "Warner Brothers want to make it into films" and not at all from the perspective of "Rowling, Tiffany, Thorne at al have agreed that it should happen".

[Deleted]

JK has denied this story is true today, thankfully.

[Jon]

Warner Bros likely wants a Cursed Child film but without JK's consent, it won't be made. The Potter franchise is a huge cash cow for WB but at the same time, they have to work with the author on any ideas they might have for the franchise. JK Rowling turned down many producers who wanted to do Harry Potter as a stage musical but it was Sonia Friedman who convinced her that a play about Harry's later life might work and she approved.

[peggs]

Saw this for the first time a few weeks ago but it's taken me this long to read through the whole thread. I originally had little interest in seeing this, thinking that it would spoil rather than add to my love of the books and seemed a bit of cash cow in two parts and with pricey tickets and only really began to re-think that decision as the opening got near and the hype grew and I began to kick myself. Fortunately I have a friend who both has the patience to sit in online queues and seems to be rather successful when it comes to getting lucky getting tickets. The build up to this was crazy, I spent the week thinking of all the things that could go wrong to prevent me getting there, injury, train strikes, alien invasion you know! Due to the difficulty and price involved in getting tickets linked to the fact that the hp world was one I most happily enjoyed growing up meant I worried way more than I have for anything else I've seen in the theatre.

So fortunately after all that I did really enjoy it, i'd managed to avoid any spoilers and got the main cast and just sat and had a lot of fun as the whole thing rolled out. I loved the effects, I think the fact that a lot were really very simple if you knew how you'd done them worked for me. Great casting, such a wise decision to cast talented actors rather than go for 'names', everyone was pretty bang on the money for me. In hindsight as someone else mentioned somewhere back in this thread I'd not entirely convinced about Voldemort having a child, can't see he'd want/see the need for one, he was supposed to be immortal after all and Voldemort and sex seems such an odd notion but story wise I was happy enough to accept what I was being told. Lots of little moment and scenes to really enjoy and the overall staging and movement worked well. I'd purposely never wondered what the story might be, though that was such a good time waster in the old between the books days, or how it might work as a theatrical piece but all hats off for those involved, most cleverly done.

Did it as a one dayer which made it all the better and with a friend so made it one of those event theatre days and best of all was probably the cherry on the cake when it came to the world of potter rather than slightly spoiling the books which was my original fear. And of course I now have wooly hp scary and hat which while clearly bemusing those around me still makes me smile a bit, sucker for merchandise me.

[andrew]

Jan 22, 2017 16:05:52 GMT peggs said:

Saw this for the first time a few weeks ago but it's taken me this long to read through the whole thread.

Now that's commitment.

[synchrony]

Just saw this yesterday having successfully avoided any spoilers for nearly a year!

After Part 1 I just thought it was AMAZING. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to come next. The lighting designer is a genius. I loved Ron, he was hilarious and exactly as I imagined him. The baby/holiday scene, LOL!!! I loved Scorpius too, and the way both Act 1 and Act 2 ended!

I really liked Trolley Witch and definitely wouldn't choose to cut her! I thought it was brilliant to find out a little bit more about her; admittedly, as she said to the boys, I have never given her any thought before. Loved the Dementors.

I continued to love it right up until Scorpius/Snape got Albus back. After that it felt a bit like everything was wrapped up and I wasn't sure where it could go from there. As it unravelled though, I found the plot got increasingly more predictable, and would have preferred more Scorpius and less 'deep and meaningful' Harry/Albus angst. I didn't find myself emotionally moved from this point forward. I think it's because I didn't find Delphi scary at all, and at no point did I ever think she might win, permanently change the past, or do any real damage. I didn't care that Craig died (I actually thought she'd killed young James for a moment which would have been much more impactful to me). There were also more plot holes for me in Part 2.

Unlike the majority, I didn't like Norma's Hermione much. I found her rather hard to hear (in terms of diction not volume). I also wasn't over-keen on the final Hagrid scene; I felt like Hagrid wasn't really needed in the play at all and was a bit shoe-horned in.

I did still LOVE it though, and had a fabulous day. I'd love to see it again from a better seat. The writing over the walls was really creepy! There were so many 'wow' moments!

[kirkwoodproductions]

Just managed to get a cancelled ticket for Wednesday. There's so little time to prepare
So happy to be seeing it with the original cast after the disappointment of finding out I'd be missing them with my ticket for July.
Does anyone know if there is any cast absences at the minute? I'm really hoping they're all there.

[dillan]

Apr 10, 2017 20:53:36 GMT kirkwoodproductions said:

Just managed to get a cancelled ticket for Wednesday. There's so little time to prepare
So happy to be seeing it with the original cast after the disappointment of finding out I'd be missing them with my ticket for July.
Does anyone know if there is any cast absences at the minute? I'm really hoping they're all there.

The entire cast performed on Saturday (zero understudies!).

Obviously, due to the Olivier awards, Anthony, Noma and Jamie did not perform on Sunday. However, I don't think there should be any cast absences for Wednesday, not for the main characters anyway.

[kirkwoodproductions]

OK, having (finally) seen it on Wednesday I'm gonna post my thoughts.
With a long time since I read the book and coming to terms with the plot (plus the fact that I never had as much of a problem with the story as some people had), it was great to see the show and just enjoy it for what it is.
Understudies for Ginny (Lowri James) and Scorpius (James Le Lacheur) were on. Both were very good and seemed to have great chemistry with the rest of the cast, so that it was practically impossible to tell they were understudies and if I hadn't looked at the board beforehand (and not seen Anthony Boyle on the Oliviers) I probably wouldn't have noticed.
I thought the staging was incredible, and the dance-like moments between scenes were some of the best bits of the production. Imogen Heap's music for these scenes was incredible, especially at the end of Part 2 as the dementors descended. Other highlights for me were Moaning Myrtle's scene, who was played brilliantly, the transition from Harry's nightmare to him and Ginny in bed (how the hell did they do that trick?), and the murders of Lily and James near the end.
The magic was incredible. The polyjuice scene was phenomenal and, although I can guess how it was done, it was still amazing to watch. The exit from the Ministry was mind-blowing and I cannot tell at all how that was pulled off (unless there is a small trapdoor in the phone box that the actor must plummet down to be invisible as the robe is sucked through the box). However, I wasn't as impressed with the Voldemort transfiguration, which seemed to be trying to recreate the polyjuice potion effect but didn't do it as well, and when Voldemort ducks behind the door and stands back up as Harry was a laughable way for the transition back as the spell wears off.
I actually found Delphi an interesting character when she was first introduced, if not a little rushed as she only seemed to have 2 minutes on stage before the characters were forming a new trio of too-closely knit friends for the amount of time they've spent together. I also thought she portrayed the villain reasonably well. My only problem with her villainess I think comes from the writing (I'll come back to this in a bit) and not Esther Smith's portrayal - though it will be interesting to see how well April Hughes portrays the villain when I see it again in July (I'm assuming she's the new Delphi as she's the only member of the new cast who looks the right age and is sat up front in the picture with the new Albus, Scorpius and Rose).
I actually had bigger problems with Harry. I felt like he ended up shouting far too quickly, even when Harry's meant to have a temper. When I'd read the dialogue in the book I'd pictured him saying it sternly and getting increasingly shouty, but Jamie Parker seemed to go from talking normally to shouting within 2 seconds.
My biggest problem with it originated when I read the book, with how wooden and unnatural some of the dialogue seemed, though at the time I hoped it was just how the script read and would be solved with the performance. Unfortunately I was wrong. The murder of Craig Bowker felt a bit rushed. It would probably have helped if he was a bit more prominent earlier in the play, but also if there was a bit more dialogue or anything before Delphi kills him (though I have to say, the flame thrower effects throughout the show were incredible). I also think Delphi being described as pantomime villain by some comes from the text. Lines like "you're mistaken child, prophecies are the future" and "you talk too much, child" I don't think can ever be said without sounding a bit uninspired and comical.

[kirkwoodproductions]

I noticed a new line from Moaning Myrtle, when she talks about Cedric Diggory and girls making love potions in the bathroom, she also hastened to add in "and some boys" - that just stuck in my head as memorable.
Also, I noticed a few technical mishaps and was wondering how common these are. Rose's broomstick at the start didn't jump up when she said "up" so the actress just bent down and picked it up, one of the wands during the dance scene in Albus's third year wasn't lighting up, and there's another big one but I can't remember what that was right now. With the amount of tricks in the show, its not surprising not everything always works.

[tommy123]

A while ago, JK Rowling tweeted that not only would it run in London for a long time it would also tour.

There are obviously no doubts that the show could sustaine London and a Tour easily but surely this would mean extra long stays in venues? Like double the length of your average big tour. For example, Wicked played around 3 months in Manchester, where as surely Harry could play 6 months minimum. Does anyone have any clue as to when/if it would tour?

If the show does tour, how will they manage all the magic? I'm sure the polyjuice section uses trap doors as does the lake trap door, with added water! Any ideas?

[daniel]

To the best of my knowledge, there are no plans to tour this at the moment, but I'm sure they will sooner or later. In what form, I'm not sure. It's well known that many of the touring circuit venues generally don't like having their stages chopped up for trapdoors, so it would have to be long enough runs to justify the cost and the work.

If it toured traditional theatres, I'd expect a very limited tour with at least 6 months in each venue...I wouldn't be surprised if it did nearer a year in places like Manchester.

The other option of course is to tour it in a purpose-built structure a la Cirque du Soleil...complete flexibility on the technical side of things but you lose the charm of being in an actual theatre.

Given how far ahead tours are booking dates these days, I'd be surprised if we see a comprehensive tour before 2025...plus Sonia will want to get it settled on Broadway, and probably Australia and US Tour too before looking at a UK tour.

[danielwhit]

There's also the fairly complex human flying, which will add complexity to a tour as well.

I agree though, I can't imagine we'll see a UK tour for the best part of a decade. A US tour is more likely to be the touring "prototype", as they are set up to cope with the technical complexities far better than our venues are.

[shep94]

Hi guys,

Long time reader 1st time poster. It is nearly 3am and I cannot sleep after watching the show today. I read most of the spoilers before hand as I dont like to be suprised/scared.
All I have to say is wow Wow WOW. I think that this has been one of the best things I have seen. I loved the illusions although I do think that the talking books could have been better.
I loved the choreography and the music however I did get a bit bored of the robe flicking. I really loved all the actors in their respective parts. I felt that the friendship with Albus and Scorpius was superb. I had watched a couple of reviews where they suggested that there was a definite homo-erotic subtext between then however it was plain to see that it was the case of a bonding of 2 social outcasts. I must say that Ron was too funny which at times was great but I do feel that it took away the tension in serious scenes such as in the ministry of magic and in the church. I thought that Harry was brilliant, I really felt that the way he spoke was very reminiscent of how Daniel Radcliffe played the part and I think that his relationship with Albus was really good and for me believable. I am also convinced that the women who played Hermoine called Harry 'Jamie' towards the end of show 2 act 2.

Now for my negative.

I felt that the ending was so terrible. It felt like the writers realised they had already written 5 hours and just bodged together the ending. I think it was just flat in the church. Delph shot 3 sparks at Harry and Harry responded, she knocked his wand away almost crushed him with a pew and then other come and shoot some more sparks at her and she does a fireball and then it just seemed to end. I think it may have been better if Delph somehow coxed some deatheaters into the church and there was more of a battle where they could throw around the pews and smash the stain glass window. I think really it wasnt 'Hollywood sexy' and I would rather have seen that then Albus and Scorpius in the library under an inversability cloak. Just my thought.

I would also love for them to release the soundtrack for the show as it is absolutely sublime!

Also, was the guy who played the sorting hat also supposed to be Kingsley Shacklebolt??? I know how some people said that the ending wasnt much but I really loved it. It may have been good for the sorting hat to make a grand statement and then be re-hung in mid air???

But all in all it was a fabulous show!

[danielwhit]

Welcome aboard!

A lot of the music (Imogen Heap) is available on youtube/spotify/albums, however not as a "Harry Potter" album. A couple of people have started trying to work out the entire soundtrack.

I get your point about the ending - however I don't think getting deatheaters into the church would have made any sense from a story point of view. Delphi has never seen the death eaters under Voldemort's power, and probably wouldn't know how to get any of them to Godric's Hollow (and if she did, why would they believe her OR not tell ol' Voldy?). That scene felt different this week to when I saw it in previews - however I'm not sure why. Probably my memory playing a trick on me.

I don't think the guy playing the sorting hat (and Hagrid) is meant to be Kingsley Shacklebolt, no. Why would that be the case? I did quite like the final scene - it comes back to a very personal, and relatable, story about friendship/family. Which is, beneath all the magic, what the books were too.

The extra thing I'd add is having now seen the show in one day (previews) and over two evenings (this week), seeing it in one day is 100% the best way to go about it. You lose too much of the dramatic tension with a day off!

[madsonmelo]

So, I really liked the play and, indeed, works best in theater, because the written material itself it's the problem.

The staging is quite clever (really good use of the dementors), the effects are amazing (for a theater) and the score is just amazing. And what makes theater good in most times is the cast and in this case, as I saw with the complete original one, it's wonderful.

Even the ones playing those new characters such as the children are so good that you just create a bond that you don't usually would be able with lesser actors on stage. Everybody does their best (maybe not Delphi's actress but good nevertheless, even though I expected Hermione to have more to do, and the standouts are clearly Jamie Parker and Anthony Boyle, the first gives all the emotional problems that the character needs and the latter just mix everything in a very unusually good style of acting that fits perfectly Scorpius, just amazing.

I will never understand the character development of Voldemort during the book with him being a... father, and that doesn't change in the play, but for the rest and with the entire thing, ''Cursed Child'' is a very good play that has been detracted by some for minor reasons (such as build everything for a travel time as if this was a real problem lol). It will be a major hit for years, that's for sure.

[bamaboy]

Currently on my first London trip (loving it!), and had the great pleasure of seeing this. I was crazy jet lagged, but I LOVED it. I grew up reading the books, went to midnight release parties, etc. But I was still a little confused by the plot. But overall, it was a great, fun spectacle. I loved the production, loved the random dance sequences, and overall thought the acting was quite great. The "whoosh" of moving the set pieces felt a little cheesy to me, though. I'm not sure that American audiences are going to clamor for this though? I don't know. It just felt almost cheesy at times. But at the same time, I loved it for that very reason.

[bamaboy]

I will say too, set was I was expecting more "wow" from the actual visuals. I mean, sure there are some really cool things, but I don't know, seeing the actors push the set on and off felt a little "eh" to me. I mean, this isn't theater, it is an event. And I wanted everything to move around flawlessly and almost magically. I mean, why not have the stuff tracked on and off? It felt very strange and disjointed to me. That said, I did love the attention to detail in the theater itself.

[dazzerlump]

so, ive heard good things about the death eaters, but am I expecting too much, like the whole theatre going cold and them flying about the auditorium... should I lower my expectations?

[Ade]

May 7, 2017 10:30:58 GMT dazzerlump said:

so, ive heard good things about the death eaters, but am I expecting too much, like the whole theatre going cold and them flying about the auditorium... should I lower my expectations?

As there aren't any death eaters in the whole thing, i would lower them considerably If you meant dementors though then you won't be disappointed - the whole scene is absolutely chilling.