Nine years later, Potter fans a frenzy

Jack Shepherd 

 After almost nine years of waiting, fans were finally treated a new Harry Potter story in the form of The Cursed Child. Potter fans flooded London’s West End, many in costume, all there last week to see their wizarding heroes brought to life once more.

The Cursed Child, co-written by JK Rowling, is the first new story about the boy wizard in a decade and as such, hype surrounding its opening is sky high. The two-part production officially opens on 30 July but previews begin on June 7.

Early reviews have, unsurprisingly, been overwhelmingly positive, with fans obeying JK Rowling and keeping spoilers to themselves. While the press was not invited to the preview event, some reviews have already emerged online.

The Telegraph said the play was “fast moving and, most importantly, funny”, detailing how: “The storyline, a hymn to friendship and teenage misfits, contains enough twists to please the most knowledgable of fans, who remained resolutely tight-lipped about the plot as they spilled onto the pavement in raptures afterwards. 

The paper continued: “Any fears that the world of Hogwarts on stage would struggle to compete with the multi-million dollar special effects of film were quickly kicked into touch.” Meanwhile, The Mirror also praised the show, saying: “It’s the children who steal the show along with all the drama of the books and films, a lot of laughs and some fantastic special effects. JK Rowling has made sure the audience will be back for part two with a cliffhanger ending to the first part. 

The paper signed off the piece with: “And if the second is anywhere near as good as the first there can be no other verdict. The child may be cursed but this show most definitely isn’t.” 

Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have been selling on resale websites for upwards of £2,000 (Rs 1.92L approximately) in the 

recent weeks. 

Little is known about the plot, bar that the story is set 19 years after Harry, Ron, Hemione and the gang waved goodbye to Hogwarts. Harry’s son Albus takes the starring role, as he is left “struggling with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted” while learning with his father that “sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places”.

 Jamie Parker is playing a grown-up Harry, who now works for the Ministry of Magic, while Sam Clemmett takes on the role of Albus. Noma Dumezweni has been cast as Hermione and Paul Thornley will play Ron. 

— The Independent

Radcliff to miss

These are questions Daniel Radcliffe won't be able to escape from for the next six months. Has he seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Is he planning to see the play? Well, it already looks like the most probable answer to such a query is in the negative; with the actor telling E! News that he’s “not sure” whether he'll be attending J.K. Rowling's new sequel play. “It would be a weird one. I could be completely wrong in this, but I feel like if I went to see it that night, there's going to be a lot of Harry Potter fans there in the audience obviously and would that then become a thing?” Radcliffe explained, while attending the premiere for his latest film Now You See Me 2. “Would it be more about them watching me watch the show or would it take away from the show? I would never want to do anything that would distract or take away from the show.”

These are questions Daniel Radcliffe won't be able to escape from for the next six months. Has he seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Is he planning to see the play? Well, it already looks like the most probable answer to such a query is in the negative; with the actor telling E! News that he’s “not sure” whether he'll be attending J.K. Rowling's new sequel play. “It would be a weird one. I could be completely wrong in this, but I feel like if I went to see it that night, there's going to be a lot of Harry Potter fans there in the audience obviously and would that then become a thing?” Radcliffe explained, while attending the premiere for his latest film Now You See Me 2. “Would it be more about them watching me watch the show or would it take away from the show? I would never want to do anything that would distract or take away from the show.”