‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ to Play on The West End
By Nora Dominick ‘17/Emertainment Monthly Assistant Stage Editor
Harry Potter fans rejoice!! The new Harry Potter centered play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, is going to be making magic on The West End and fans could not be more excited. The play is set to receive its world premiere in London’s West End in the summer of 2016 at the Palace Theatre.
Beloved Harry Potter author J.K Rowling confirmed on Twitter today that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will indeed make its West End debut. J.K Rowling collaborated with English television writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany (Once) on this new project. Rowling took to twitter to clear some things up saying that the play is not a prequel, she said “It will tell a new story.”
I'm also very excited to confirm today that a new play called Harry Potter and the #CursedChild will be opening in London next year.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 26, 2015
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will tell the story of James and Lily Potter, Harry Potter’s parents, before they were brutally murdered by Lord Voldemort. The play will also take fans through the early years of Harry Potter. Rowling did not pen the script instead she is co-producing the venture along with veteran theatre producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender. Of course, Rowling answered the inevitable question, why isn’t The Cursed Child a new novel? She said, “ To answer one inevitable (and reasonable!) question- why isn’t #CursedChild a new novel?- I am confident that when audiences see the play they will agree that it was the only proper medium for the story.”
The creative team for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will featured John Tiffany as director, movement by Steven Hoggett, set design by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, lighting by Neil Austin, music by Grammy nominee Imogen Heap, sound by Gareth Fry and special effects by Jeremy Chernick. Casting has not been announced for this new play but it will surely be the talk of the West End and Broadway as the project moves forward.
The Harry Potter series has sold more than 450 million copies and has been translated into 77 languages. The book series that defined a generation of young readers has also been turned into eight magical films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The news of the new play also followed the Harry Potter montra “I open at the close,” because the new play was confirmed on the anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone being published in the U.K 18 years ago today.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has Broadway transfer written all over it. Tickets for the play will go on sale this fall and purchasing details will become available this July at the play’s website. So fans break out your Harry Potter books, dust off your wands and get ready for the magic of Harry Potter to continue.