“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a theatre show that revolves around the next generation, that being the children of Harry Potter and others.”

Multi-award theatrical show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrated its first birthday in Melbourne’s Princess Theatre on the 1st March 2020. Due to the overwhelming response, this sensational record-breaking show has announced its 7th extension until 13th September 2020. Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp in her speech welcomed the good news and said that more than 300,000 from near and far have seen the show making this a premier attraction of the state.

It has been 23 years since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. The story started off with a boy named Harry whose parents were killed by Voldemort, the Dark Lord who is also known as He Who Must Not Be Named. Harry was later recruited into Hogwarts where he became best friends with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Even though Harry was slightly lost at first, his unwavering courage and persistence lead him to become a great wizard. With the help of his friends and allies, he successfully overcame countless obstacles that came his way. In the end, he recovered the truth of his parents’ mysterious death, defeated Voldemort and fell in love with Ron’s younger sister, Ginny Weasley.

Unlike the Harry Potter we know from the book series and shows, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a theatre show that revolves around the next generation, that being the children of Harry Potter and others. In this show, parenting, family bonding and friendship are the core take home values. Have you ever imagined the sons of Harry Potter and his sworn enemy Draco Malfoy becoming good friends? In this show, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy did exactly that, leaving their parents in frustration. Harry struggled communicating with his son whereas Albus felt like he had an obligation to fix the wrong his father had done that caused Cedric Diggory’s death. The author has cleverly integrated the issues parents and their children face today into a world filled with magic, fantasy and drama. The 2 parts to this show will definitely leave one in awe!

However, one would have to have a brief idea of the original Harry Potter stories to be able to fully understand and enjoy the show or they might be left confused. On another note, many might be a bit lost at the beginning as the Hermione we all know who is ‘White’ is instead ‘Black’ here. The creator explained during an interview in The Observer that Olivier-award-winning actress Noma Dumezweni was the best actor for the job.

In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a must watch for those that grew up with Harry Potter! It gives fans some sort of closure, especially for those craving to know what happened after Harry fell in love and started a family. The storyline, performance and special effects were extremely well portrayed and professionally executed! It is definitely of world class tier!