After months of waiting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has finally opened at the Palace Theatre, performing the first official show on Saturday evening.
The play is set 19 years after the events of the last book (and film) which ended with Harry, Ron and Hermione triumphing over Voldemort. In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child audiences will be reunited with the now grown-up trio, as well as with their children, who were introduced briefly at the end of The Deathly Hallows. In The Cursed Child, the relationship between the parents and their children is explored, particularly focusing on the relationship between fathers and sons.
Die-hard Harry Potter fans were not the only ones in attendance as many celebrities turned out for the show’s official opening. Sherlock star Andrew Scott was one of the famous faces who turned out to support the show, alongside Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and comedian David Baddiel.
One of the many celebrities on the red carpet was of course J.K Rowling herself. Rowling claimed that she has loved creating the eighth Harry Potter instalment on stage, stating that: “I always try and avoid the word magical, for very obvious reasons, but it [creating the play]really has been magical. I’ve loved every moment of it. It’s been a wonderful process.”
Alongside Rowling on the red carpet were her co-writers Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany who helped her to create the play. Rowling expressed her satisfaction with Thorne and Tiffany, as well as with the production itself, stating that: “They were the people I trusted to do it right, and they’ve done it more than right. I’m so proud of this play”.
The show has already been great success in terms of critical reviews, gaining multiple five star reviews. The show is so popular that it has already sold out of tickets, which has led to the decision to extend the play’s run until December 10 2017. Fans who still want to see the production will be able to try again on Thursday 4th August 2016 when 250,000 more tickets will go on sale.
The play stars Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley who play the lead roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Watch a teaser video for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child below.
