INTRODUCTION

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part stage play written by Jack Thorne based on an original new story by Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany.[1] Previews of the play began at the Palace Theatre, on 7 June 2016,[2] and it officially premiered on 30 July 2016.

The play will officially open on Broadway on 25 April 2018 at the Lyric Theatre in New York, although previews began on 16 March 2018. Its cast will be similar to that of the first year on West End, with returning actors Sam Clemmett, Jamie Parker, , , and Paul Thornley.

The rehearsal script, which was not a novelisation of the play,[3] was published.

The story begins nineteen years after the events of and the Deathly Hallows and follows Harry Potter, now a employee, and his younger son Albus Severus Potter, who is about to attend School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

At the 2017 , the London production received a record-breaking eleven nominations and an again record-breaking nine awards, including Best New Play, Best Actor, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Director. ORIGINS

In the opening scene, set during the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the year 2017, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley send their second son, Albus Severus Potter, on the Hogwarts Express to begin his first year at Hogwarts. Harry is now working in a desk job as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, while Ginny is the editor of the sports section of the Daily Prophet. and also send their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley on the train. Hermione is now Minister for Magic, while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Albus makes an unlikely friend in Slytherin with Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry's former nemesis and Astoria Greengrass. The school is stunned when, in a break with the tradition of Potters being sorted into Gryffindor, Albus is sorted into Slytherin house alongside Scorpius. Both boys are bullied by other students over the next few years, Albus due to his perceived failure to live up to his parents, Scorpius due to unproven rumours that he is the son of . In addition, Albus and Harry begin to drift apart, owing to Albus's struggles with his father's shadow and Harry's uncertainty on how to deal with his son's issues. Albus also drifts apart from Rose, with whom he was friends before meeting Scorpius. Prior to Albus and Scorpius's fourth year, Albus gets into a fight with his father after he is given Harry's baby blanket and a love potion from Ron. During the fight, Harry accidentally says that he sometimes wishes Albus was not his son, and Albus spills potion on the blanket.

Harry obtains a prototype of a more powerful version of the Time Turner that allows one to travel back several years into the past and change history. Simultaneously, Harry's scar begins to hurt again, causing him to become concerned that Voldemort may somehow be returning. Amos Diggory, who has become old and is cared for by his niece, Delphi Diggory, asks Harry to use the Time Turner to prevent 's death. After overhearing Harry refuse to help the Diggorys, Albus is inspired to do so himself, and convinces Scorpius to help him. The two escape from the Hogwarts Express and the trolley operator, who is revealed to be a monster placed on the train to prevent students from escaping. The two arrive at St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards in Yorkshire, where Amos lives, and team up with Delphi to steal the Time Turner from Hermione's office while disguised with Polyjuice Potion. PERKS

Knowing that Cedric's death was the result of him winning the Triwizard Tournament alongside Harry, the boys use the Time Turner to travel back to the first challenge of the Triwizard Tournament in 1994, and sabotage Cedric during the tournament's first task in the hope of preventing his victory. Instead, they only succeed in creating an alternate reality in which Ron and Hermione never married, and thus Rose was never born, and Albus was sorted into Gryffindor. Albus discovers that this was because they chose to disguise themselves as Durmstrang students, causing Hermione to become suspicious of Viktor Krum and go to the Yule Ball with Ron instead of Viktor. As a result, Ron never experienced the jealousy fundamental to his relationship with Hermione, fell in love with Padma Patil at the Ball, and eventually became married to her, having a son named Panju. Hermione, in turn, became a frustrated and mean professor at Hogwarts.

At around the same time, Harry's fear that Voldemort may return increases as his scar continues to hurt and as he has Voldemort-related nightmares. After speaking with a portrait of Dumbledore, he becomes convinced that Scorpius is a threat to Albus and tries to have the boys kept apart at Hogwarts by forcing McGonagall to keep tabs on Albus using the Marauders' Map. Albus and Scorpius's friendship is destroyed, but the two eventually reconcile after Albus steals Harry's old Invisibility Cloak from James Sirius Potter (Albus’ older brother), and after McGonagall refuses to enforce Harry's request. Harry himself is persuaded to relent after a conversation with Draco and Ginny. Meanwhile, Albus and Scorpius decide to make another attempt to use the Time Turner to change Cedric's fate, this time by humiliating him during the Triwizard Tournament's second task. When Scorpius returns to the present day however, Albus is not with him, and Scorpius finds himself in a reality in which Harry is dead and Voldemort rules the . VEHICLES

Scorpius discovers that - as a result of his actions - an embittered Cedric joined the Death Eaters and killed during the events of Deathly Hallows, preventing him from killing Nagini and allowing Voldemort to win the Battle of Hogwarts. With Harry now dead, Albus subsequently never existed, while Voldemort was able to completely consolidate power and transform the Ministry of Magic into a dictatorial regime. In the new timeline, Scorpius became a popular Head Boy and star, helping the staff and students torment -borns. became the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, and patrols the school with Dementors and a revived Inquisitorial Squad led by Scorpius. Draco Malfoy occupies Harry's old position as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, using his post to encourage routine attacks on and bribe the Prime Minister to remain silent on the actions of the Death Eaters. With help from Ron, Hermione, and , now the final members of a dwindling anti-Voldemort resistance movement, Scorpius is able to use the Time Turner to prevent the interference of Albus and his past self and restore the events of the original timeline, the alternate Ron, Hermione, and Snape sacrificing themselves to the Dementors in order to allow him to do so. Scorpius reunites with Albus, and the two boys are eventually found by their parents, as well as Ron and Hermione. Following these events, Harry scolds Albus for his actions, but the two nevertheless begin to reconcile.

Realising the danger the Time Turner poses, and deciding their parents will continue to keep it, Scorpius and Albus attempt to destroy it themselves, but they are joined by Delphi. Scorpius realizes Delphi was in charge of the Ministry of Magic in the alternate timeline, and she takes them captive, later revealing her intention of restoring the alternate timeline. After the adults learn Albus and Scorpius were seen disappearing with Delphi, they confront Amos, only to discover Delphi is not his niece, but the daughter of Voldemort and . Searching her room, they discover she is following a prophecy that, if fulfilled, would lead to Voldemort's return. Delphi takes the boys to the final challenge of the Triwizard Tournament, but Albus and Scorpius prevent her from acting, and Delphi uses the Time Turner to travel further back in time. She inadvertently takes the boys with her, and destroys the Time Turner to leave them stranded in time. MISC. ITEMS

Abandoned by Delphi, Albus and Scorpius discover they have been taken back to the night Harry's parents were killed, and assume Delphi is planning to kill Harry before Voldemort can do so. Albus and Scorpius write an invisible message on Harry's baby blanket, knowing in the present, the blanket would become stained with love potion and expose the message to Harry. Meanwhile, Draco reveals the Time-Turner was actually a prototype for a perfected model owned by him, but they remain unable to rescue the boys due to their uncertainty over which time period they have entered. After Harry receives the message from the boys, he and his allies use Draco's Time Turner to travel back in time to save them and stop Delphi. While waiting for Delphi, they deduce she intends to convince Voldemort to abandon his doomed attempt to kill Harry, ensuring her father's survival and allowing her to be with him.

Harry disguises himself as Voldemort using Transfiguration to distract Delphi, and the group subdues her. They allow the murder of Harry's parents to play out, unwilling to risk the consequences of altering the past. After returning to the present day, Delphi is sent to Azkaban Prison. Albus and Scorpius now decide to be more active at Hogwarts, with Scorpius expressing interest in trying out for Quidditch and asking Rose on a date. Harry and Albus visit Cedric's grave, with Harry apologising for his role in Cedric's death. DRAWBACKS

In December 2013, it was revealed that a stage play based on Harry Potter had been in development for around a year,[5] with the view to bringing it to the stage sometime in 2016. [6] At the time of the announcement, Rowling revealed that the play would "explore the previously untold story of Harry's early years as an orphan and outcast".[7] The following May, Rowling began establishing the creative team for the project.[8]

On 26 June 2015, the project was officially confirmed under the title of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,[9] and it was revealed it would receive its world premiere in mid-2016 at London's Palace Theatre.[10] The announcement marked the eighteenth anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,[11] published on 26 June 1997.[12]

On announcing plans for the project, Rowling stated that the play would not be a prequel.[13] In response to queries regarding the choice of a play rather than a new novel, Rowling has stated that she "is confident that when audiences see the play they will agree that it is the only proper medium for the story".[14] Rowling has also assured audiences that the play will contain an entirely new story and will not be a rehashing of previously explored content.[15] On 24 September 2015, Rowling announced that the play had been split into two parts.[16] The parts are designed to be viewed on the same day or consecutively over two evenings. [17][18]

On 23 October, it was confirmed the plays were set nineteen years after the conclusion of the final novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,[19] and would open at London's Palace Theatre in July 2016.[20] The plays principally follow Harry, now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and his younger son Albus Severus Potter.[21] As of 22 July, little more had been revealed about the plot even by those who had attended the previews since 7 June.[22] CHALLENGES

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part play, was written by British playwright Jack Thorne based on an original story by Thorne, John Tiffany and Rowling. Some websites were listing all three as authors of the script[23] but by 26 July 2016, the official web site for the play[24] and many others (including the BBC)[25] were listing Thorne as the sole script writer.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is directed by John Tiffany[26][27] with choreography by Steven Hoggett,[28] set design by Christine Jones,[29] costume design by Katrina Lindsay, [30] lighting design by Neil Austin,[31] music by Imogen Heap,[32] and sound design by Gareth Fry.[33] In addition, special effects were created by Jeremy Chernick,[34] with illusions by Jamie Harrison, and musical supervision by Martin Lowe.[35]

West End Previews at the West End Palace Theatre, London began on 7 June 2016,[2] with the official opening night for both parts on 30 July,[36] and originally booking until 18 September 2016. [37] Tickets went on sale to pre-registered priority bookers on 28 October 2015, with a public sale scheduled to commence on 30 October.[38] In just under 8 hours of priority booking 175,000 tickets were sold for the world premiere production,[39] with the play's booking period extended to January 2017.[40] On commencement of the public sale booking was extended until 30 April 2017,[41] with a further extension issued the same day to 27 May 2017.[42] At opening tickets were priced from £30 up to £130 for a ticket for both parts,[43] although ticket resale agencies were selling seats for up to £3,000.[39] Ticket resale has been banned by the producers, with tickets no longer valid if sold on.[44] In mid-July 2016, the theatre began holding a ticket lottery at 1pm each Friday, releasing 40 for sale on their website for 'some of the best seats' in the theatre for the lowest price, advertised at £20 per part. For example, the "Friday Forty" tickets sold on 29 July 2016 were for performances on 3, 5, 6 and 7 August.[45] On 20 December 2015, initial casting was announced with Jamie Parker playing Harry Potter, Noma Dumezweni playing Hermione Granger and Paul Thornley playing Ron Weasley.[46][47][48] The casting of the dark-skinned Noma Dumezweni as Hermione sparked fervent discussion, to which Rowling responded that Hermione's skin was never specified as white.[49][50] Further notable casting includes Poppy Miller as Ginny Potter and Sam Clemmett as Albus Severus Potter.[51] The production features an overall cast of 42.[52][53] ENDINGS

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has received extremely positive reviews from critics. Audiences and critics have complimented the casting and performances, while many debate the quality of the piece and how it compares to entries in the main Harry Potter series.

Publications awarding five star ratings included , the London Evening Standard, The Stage and WhatsOnStage.com.[69][70][71][72] The Telegraph also gave five, although "there are some quibbles," while 's Michael Billington awarded four stars.[73][74]

Anthony Boyle's performance as Scorpius Malfoy garnered particular acclaim. WhatsOnStage.com wrote that "Boyle gives a career-making performance," while The Wall Street Journal described him as "the break-out performance."[72][75] Variety's critic, Matt Trueman, agreed, writing, "it's Boyle who really stands out", and both Trueman and Henry Hitchings, in the Evening Standard, noted that his performance was sure to be a fan favourite. [70][76]

Response within the The response to the play within the Harry Potter fandom was mixed, although many have called it unquestionably negative, some even calling it 'like a work of fan fiction'.[77][78] Some fans claim that the story diverged from previously established rules of the universe, criticising the play's characterization.[79] Some also took issue with the style and plot of the play, with some complaining that the Time Turner storylines had already been used, as had Cedric Diggory's death, and that the writers were merely using old storylines.[80][81] These criticisms have led much of the fandom to reject the play as separate from the Potter canon. [82] Many have noticed significant plot holes to be found in the story, such as the likelihood of Lord Voldemort's infertility, the speed at which Polyjuice Potion is created, the unexplained non-operation of the Fidelius Charm,[83][84] Cedric Diggory's supposedly nonsensical turn to becoming a (in addition to other character flaws noted, such as in Ron, Hermione and Albus) and Dolores Umbridge's support of dark magic, amongst others.[85][86] Others have argued that the play is successful on stage owing to its special effects, yet does not succeed on paper owing to the above reasons.[87]