Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part One and Two

 by Lorcan Bonser-Wilton

Over May half-term, my mum and I went to London to see the acclaimed 8th part of the Harry Potter series, which is split into two shows, meant to be seen on a single day! While it consists of two shows, I will not be writing two reviews - consider this a bumper one! Finally seeing this show was quite an achievement, having had three delays (that amounted to an overall delay of a year and a half between our original performance and when we actually went!). However, in return for leaving our money with them over the pandemic, we received a seat upgrade twice - not bad!

Firstly, I will discuss the rather incredible special effects that the show has been lauded for. They were absolutely incredible, and felt so magical. Obviously, we were left in awe of how many of them were done. For example, without spoiling too much, there were elements such as a fireplace through which actors tumbled, a pool of water set into the stage (alluding to a certain event in the play), and impressive ‘wandwork’, so to speak! Additionally, in between the scenes there were seamless, impressive transitions that must have taken a great degree of work. In the swish of a cloak, we could be taken from King’s Cross to the Great Hall at Hogwarts, for example.

There were a number of actors in the show who stood out to me. Jim Fish, in the role of Harry Potter, showed a great emotive range and an overall dynamic portrayal for such a vital character. Scorpius Malfoy proved to be a fan-favourite character at the time of the play’s premiere, and in my opinion Luke Sumner was brilliantly awkward and funny, but still had the ability to be sensitive when necessary. Thomas Aldridge played Ron Weasley, and was greatly successful in providing light comic relief, but what I really loved about his portrayal was that it was very true to the Ron we knew from the books and films. Considering the best part of the audience for this show is made up of those who grew up with Harry Potter, or at least are big fans of them, this was much appreciated I am sure.

In the play, Draco Malfoy, played by James Howard, is a character in great pain and at a crossroads, aspects that were excellently portrayed by the actor. Albus Potter, portrayed by Dominic Short, was often relatable and sensitively portrayed with a certain level of vulnerability. While I do not want to spoil too much, the actor playing Severus Snape, David Annen, gave a strong performance and was rather Rickman-esque, to the amusement of many in the audience. Finally, two minor characters who stood out to me were Moaning Myrtle (played by Lucy Mangan), who stole the show with an dramatic and exaggerated performance you would expect for her character, and the Trolley Witch, played by Morag Cross, was an unexpected but rather amusing and well pulled-off addition to the show. You wouldn’t believe what her Pumpkin Pasties can do!

In conclusion, while many ‘Potterheads’ (myself included) have quibbles swith the storyline of the play, it is an incredible production. Yes, the hype is real, and well deserved! You may ask if it is worth stumping up the price for tickets, and I would say yes, however like us you may want to wait for decently priced tickets - although you may sacrifice legroom and comfort in return. At over five hours, it is certainly a theatrical marathon, and it made for quite an exhausting, but excellent day. However, it is absolutely one I urge every Potter fan to undertake!