‘cursed child’, not so cursed after all

An Aussie reviews Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I had my doubts when I first heard that Harry Potter was set to become a play. Being so in love with JK Rowling’s ‘Wizarding World’, it’s hard not to feel protective. The books—excellent. The movies—cult favourites. And since then, a slow trickle of ‘HP’ culture in various forms. Some good, some bad. BUT, a play is a big deal, particularly if Queen Rowling herself has a hand in it, because that means canon and that means us Potterheads would have to accept whatever story we get—whether we liked it or not.

This whole venture was not off to a good start. With the release of the play’s transcript, outcry was rife across the globe.

People seemed determined to hate it, citing many a plot-hole and narrative confusion as their justification, forgetting that they were reading a script, not a novel. Naturally, it’s difficult to get a real sense of the story when all you have to go off of is dialogue. There’s no immersion into the setting, no characterisation, no tension.

To prevent myself from succumbing to this conflict, I had to make a deal with myself: hold off judgment until I could see the play. At least this would allow me to experience the story in its final form, permitting fair judgment. Still, I had low expectations.

As I sit here writing, not ten minutes after the curtain fall, I find it hard to wipe the smile from my face; to quell the feeling of exhilaration welling in my chest. A feeling one only gets upon experiencing something wonderful. Something magical.

And truly, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was special. After spending four and a half hours immersed in the story, I feel like I know these new characters (and old) as dearly as I did The Boy Who Lived all those years ago.

Our leads, Scorpius Malfoy (William McKenna) and Albus Severus Potter (Sean Rees-Wemyss), were the perfect combination of loveable and whimsical. They gave a modern and hilarious twist to the teenage perspective of love and family; themes which have always been at the crux of Rowling’s stories.

I have to admit, it’s weird to see Harry Potter (Gareth Reeves), and the rest of our old-faves, all grown up and dealing with real adult (TM) problems. I was worried that, since the actors weren’t the same as the ones I grew up with on the big screen, I would feel a disconnect. In light of that, I was shocked how even through the medium of theatre, I could feel their heartache and loss, and it made this play all the more beautiful—

— it was a melting-pot of comedy, charm, adventure, love and pain. A beautiful addition to the tales which many hold dear, and so far from the disappointment I was concerned it would be. So far from what many people believe it to be. I highly recommend to anyone who can, go see this play and feel the magic as I did. It’s as close to re-experiencing Rowling’s magic for the first time as you’ll ever get.

Other things I loved: (SPOILER ALERT)

• All of the special effects! But I can’t tell you… #keepthesecrets
• The score. The music was so beautiful, it elevated the emotion of the story ten-fold. My personal favourite, ‘Staircase Ballet’
• Moaning Myrtle!! So flirty 😏, the best evolution of her character so far
• Scorpius in general: so funny, so awkward, so sweet—the epitome of a precious boi
• That feeling of sadness and heartbreak when Harry watched Voldemort and his parents, so real and visceral
• The dementors (everywhere!)
• Snape, spot on with the voice; definitely had the potential to be a real ‘hit or miss’ character–big, big hit on this occasion
• Draco Malfoy, so much like his father, Lucius, yet so different at the same time both visually and personality-wise—loved seeing his relationship with his own son, Scorpius

Things that could have been better:

• James was a bit too annoying (yes I know it was dramatised and all the characters were over-animated, but still!)
• Ron was made to look a little bit too hapless and inadequate compared to his peers. I felt this was a bit of a disservice to his character from the books who was so much more than a ‘dumb sidekick’
• No Hugo Granger-Weasley? It just seems like a bit of a gaping hole