All Aboard the Hogwarts Express! Five Tips for Harry Potter & the Cursed Child’s Lucky First Years
(Photo: Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)
Dear Muggles, we are pleased to inform you that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began previews in the West End on June 7! It's happening: J.K. Rowling's literary gamechanger has come to the stage, and fans with Felix Felicis can experience the story in an enchanting new medium. Beyond the books and films, this is an immersive inside view into the world of Harry Potter, and us Muggles are feeling like giddy First Years on the Hogwarts Express just thinking about it! However, just as with a budding wizard, there are a few things those experiencing this realm have to get straight. Here are five tips for those lucky enough to catch the two-part play at the Palace Theatre!
Pop Tissues in Your Bag Beforehand
If the Potter and Weasley family photos and Jamie Parker interview vid have yet to tug at those heartstrings, you're probably a Slytherin. J.K. Rowling tells Cursed Child-goers to be prepared to cry tears and feel feelings, and per usual, she isn't wrong. Accio, tissues, Harry Potter fans!
Can't wait to bring back the magic, regardless of the tears#CursedChild #HarryPotter @jk_rowling https://t.co/VmLbtyWTux
— Luke J Simpson (@LukeSim13) May 28, 2016
@jk_rowling thank you for sharing with us a bit more of Harry's universe through #CursedChild and #FantasticBeasts , it's been my childhood
— Noe potterhead (@noehp7) May 29, 2016
J.K. Rowling: "IF MY HARRY POTTER PLAY DOESN'T MAKE YOU CRY, THEN I'LL CRY. SO THERE!"#CursedChild
— Graham Miles (@GrahamKMiles) May 28, 2016
Mind the Owls
You read that correctly! Live owls are just one of the many magical features in the enchanting play, and apparently, one, erm, took flight during the first night of previews, proving that even the most powerful backstage wizards can have technical snafus.
#HarryPotter #CursedChild 1st preview blooper! No spoilers, but... An owl just got loose in the theatre. Intermission owl hunt backstage!
— Josh Grisetti (@JoshGrisetti) June 7, 2016
Interval of #CursedChild. All I'll say is that the owls need a bit of work...
— Nick Hilton (@nickfthilton) June 7, 2016
Don't Be a Wormtail
Of course you want to tell your Muggle friends about being on the inside of the exclusive wizarding world! So say how awesome it is to see one of the most beloved stories take the stage. Say that J.K. Rowling is a bloody genius (although they should know this. Otherwise, problem solved—get new friends!). Say the Palace Theatre's velvety seats were superb on your bottom—anything but revealing the secrets of Harry Potter's fantastical eighth (sort of) installment. No matter how compelling a storyteller you are in your group of mates, nothing will match seeing the live show. (Come on, guys, Rowling asked super nicely.)
Do Your Summer Reading
All right, we're about to go totally Hermione on you. Summer is not complete without a good beach read, and what better one than Cursed Child's script? The book comes out July 31, the day following the West End production's opening night (and Harry Potter's birthday, of course). This latest story takes place 19 years after the end of Rowling's original series; Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and even Draco are all grown up with children (and soon-to-be Hogwarts students) of their own. Though Jack Thorne's stage adaptation is a sequel, we are sure there will be nods to the story's past.
Take Us With You!
This whole "Accio, tickets" thing isn't really working (#MuggleProblems). We absolutely cannot wait to experience Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
My adrenaline levels are starting to crash... Send Madame Pomfrey... That was so incredible. #KeepTheSecrets @HPPlayLDN
— Rebecca Holbourn (@2cajuman2) June 7, 2016
All I will say is that was potentially the best thing I have ever seen... @HPPlayLDN #CursedChild #KeepTheSecrets pic.twitter.com/dbh37nKo2n
— Fraser Maxwell (@fjmaxwell) June 7, 2016