About late October/early November of last year, the pre-sale for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child happened. And after what I think were like three hours in the queue to buy tickets, I managed to score a pair for early October of this year - the weekend in which my college has what we call Fall Break. And so after serious begging and pleading around with my parents, who know the extent to which I love Harry Potter, it was decided: my dad and I would fly to London to watch the play in October of 2016. I was thrilled.
To be very honest, the year between me buying the tickets and actually going to the play passed by much quicker than I thought it would (so those of you who have tickets for next year, do not despair, it will be here before you know it) and all of a sudden I found myself on the flight from Philadelphia to London on a Wednesday afternoon. I held off on reading the play, which was released worldwide as a book on July 31st - the day the play opened in London - because I wanted to experience it all for the first time when I watched it live. What I did was read a few reviews of the play, all of which said it was excellent and did not give too much of the plot away.
I arrived at the Palace Theatre in London earlier in the day to pick up my tickets for both days (the play is split into two parts) and avoid the long queue which was bound to form closer to when the play began, and when I first saw the theatre’s header, with the infamous golden snitch/nest and a child curled up inside of it and the huge letters spelling out the play’s name, I admit my heart melted a little. It was finally real.
We arrived one hour before the play began, settled in, and what happened after the curtains rose and the lights dimmed was, no pun intended, quite magical. I won’t spoil the story or the special effects, or everything that left me awe-struck and crying and laughing and feeling every sort of emotion because I think everyone should experience it without knowing exactly what happens. I did, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
But what struck me the most is how carefully and meticulously chosen everything about the Potter world is. You can only imagine the sort of pressure Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley, and Noma Dumezweni, the actors who are now giving life to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively, were under when they were chosen for the part. Not only them, but all other actors too. The characters they’re playing were literally revolutionary in the children’s/teen fiction literary world and played a huge role in millions of people’s lives (including mine). The crew also carried a huge weight on their backs, because they are aware of the responsibility of reviving the Potter world. And yet, everything was immaculate. I want to especially congratulate the cast of the play, I could not have imagined that the characters I grew up alongside with could be so well played and developed, I was quite honestly stunned by their performances - special mention to Noma Dumezweni and Jamie Parker, for honoring Hermione and Harry, and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) for finally making someone with the Malfoy name completely loveable.
Once the cast took their final bow, I immediately started crying. I could not believe another chapter of these characters’ lives, which I love so much, was over. Especially after having lived it all so vividly for two nights, the idea that I would not see them again was inconceivable. But at the same time I was so happy the doors to the Potter world welcomed me again, so glad I had lived through Albus’ story, I was also crying out of sheer joy. I cannot begin to describe my experience; I just sincerely hope that every other Potter fan has the chance to live it too - it is so worth it.
