The final scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows might have been joyous, with Harry watching his sons wave goodbye aboard the Hogwarts Express. But to all who assumed the legendary wizard simply went on to live happily ever after, you couldn't be more wrong.
Harry says goodbye to his Hogwarts-bound boy Albus in the final scene of 'Harry Potter and the... [+]
Nearly a decade following the release of the series’ seventh installment, a new eighth chapter has come to light—one set to unfold not in the pages of a 700-page tome, but on stage in London’s West End.
Written by Jack Thorne in collaboration with J.K. Rowling and directed by Tony Award-winner John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up right where the epic saga left off, 19 years after Voldemort’s demise (and is not a prequel, like many assumed it would be).
The play centers on Harry’s second-born, Albus, as he "struggles with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted.” Posted on Pottermore, the sinister synopsis states, “As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”
“I’ve never worked on anything quite like this before,” Tiffany told Pottermore. “There are many people working on this production who grew up with the books, or discovered them with their kids, and it’s been thrilling and humbling to hear them say, ‘We never thought we’d get Harry back. But he’s here.’’’
The two-part show—designed to be viewed in a single day or over two consecutive evenings—will make its world premiere at the Palace Theatre on July 30, 2016 (the day before Harry's birthday), with preview performances scheduled to run from June 7 to July 29. Reduced-priced tickets for the preview shows will go on sale on October 28 on a first-come, first-serve basis to all who register for priority booking (which ends October 24).
Four additional previews are also slated for the end of May (details regarding where and how to acquire tickets for the bonus shows have yet to be announced). General ticket sales will be available online only starting October 30 at 11am GMT (6am EST).
UPDATE: A "Special Rehearsal Edition" of the play's script book will be released immediately following its world premiere. Slated to be distributed in print and digital form, it will feature the version of the playscript used during the production's preview performances, and will eventually be a replaced by a "Definitive Collector's Edition."
