How about a date with Harry?

Who would have thought all those years ago, when we read the books or watched the movies, that we would be seeing on stage Harry & Draco's sons, Albus Potter and Scorpious Malfoy get up to mischief at Hogwarts? Well, if you ever needed another reason to visit Melbourne then this is it, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts 1 & 2)!

The play was based on a idea by producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender to bring Harry Potter to the stage. After approaching J. K. Rowling, who had already started developing ideas about Harry and his world after leaving Hogwarts, the three engaged Jack Thorne and John Tiffany to write the stage play. It quickly became an adventure that demanded it be told in two parts, over 4 ½ hours of performance.

It premiered in London back in 2016 at the Palace Theatre, then in New York at the Lyric Theatre and finally at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne in January 2019. The theatre is booked for a minimum of 2 years with an extension of 5 years depending on sales. Note that Melbourne will be the only location the play will appear in Australia, largely due to the style of theatre and the extensive modifications required.

The visit to the theatre alone is worth it, as extensive revitaliastion has occurred, from restoration of heritage plasterworks, new carpet and colour scheme in the auditorium in addition to refurbished foyers with additional bathrooms and the most thorough refurbishment of the Princess's iconic facade in its 132 year history.

We can wholeheartedly recommend it, having seen in it on Sunday 28th April. We elected to do both parts on the same day mainly to minimize lost work/school time for our visitors. No spoilers here, but you will be amazed at the illusions and magic, all performed live on stage, remember, we are at Hogwarts!

Below are a few images from our sunday day & night sessions. Note that no photography is allowed of the performance and that the image of Scorpius and Albus is a sourced production image (yes, we did heed the rules!).