The Guardian
"Pure theatre magic - stagecraft that has to be seen to be believed."
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the most awarded play in theatre history, and it has been casting its spell at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue since 2016. Told in two thrilling parts, it picks up nineteen years after the books end and carries the story into the next generation.
Harry is now a father of three and an overworked employee at the Ministry of Magic, still wrestling with a past that refuses to stay buried. His son Albus, meanwhile, struggles under the weight of a family legacy he never asked for. When the two are drawn into a dangerous adventure through time, father and son are forced to confront the truth that the people we love, and the choices we make, can cast the longest shadows. Based on a new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, and written for the stage by Jack Thorne, it is a feat of storytelling and stagecraft in equal measure.
Why it’s worth the watch
Cursed Child is theatre on a blockbuster scale. Here is why it is unmissable:
- The magic. The illusions are genuinely jaw-dropping, with spells, transformations and disappearances happening right in front of you and no screen in sight.
- The story. It is a proper next chapter for the Wizarding World, built around fathers, sons and the friendships fans grew up with.
- The scale. Across two parts it is one of the most ambitious productions in the West End, and its record haul of awards reflects that.
- The theatre. The Palace Theatre has been transformed into a wizarding world of its own, part of the experience from the moment you arrive.
