Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne will receive its world premiere in London’s West End at the Palace Theatre in the summer of 2016.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. Written by Jack Thorne and directed by Olivier and Tony award winner John Tiffany, the play brings together some of the most exciting talent working in the theatre today.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
Featuring a cast of over 30, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening), or on two consecutive evenings.
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays there will be a matinee performance of Part One and an evening performance of Part Two. For the initial on sale period, one ticket will automatically secure the same seat for both Part One and Part Two on the same day.
For subsequent booking periods, tickets for Wednesday matinee and Wednesday evening performances can be bought together or separately. Details of when Saturday and Sunday performances of Parts One and Part Two can be bought separately will be announced at a later date.
On Thursdays there will be an evening performance of Part One and on Fridays an evening performance of Part Two. On those days tickets to each part can be bought together or separately.
Previews begin 7 June 2016 (please see website for schedule) with the Opening performances of Part One and Part Two on Saturday 30 July 2016.
In addition four special preview performances are planned for the end of May 2016 – details of where and how to obtain these tickets will be announced at a later date.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.
J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany said: “It is very exciting to explore Harry’s world in a brand new way through the live form of theatre. Collaborating on this story is exhilarating for all of us and we can’t wait to present the eighth story at the Palace Theatre next summer.”
J.K. Rowling said: “The story only exists because the right group of people came together with a brilliant idea about how to present Harry Potter on stage. I’m confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way.”
Jack Thorne said: “To be working again with John Tiffany to bring Harry Potter to the stage in a new story is an amazing opportunity. As a massive fan of the books it is an enormous responsibility but it also means I have the opportunity to work with J.K. Rowling, which is a huge honour.”
John Tiffany said: “Theatre is storytelling in its purest form. It can be simple, transformative and magical, all at the same time. That’s what makes theatre unique and the opportunity to tell the new Harry Potter story in this way is beyond exciting.”
Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said: “We are very proud to have assembled some of the finest creative talent working in the theatre today to bring to the stage this epic story of love, courage, adventure and the power of the imagination from J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. With reduced preview tickets starting at £10 per part, regular tickets starting at £15 per part and the weekly and daily lotteries we have set out to make the play accessible to the widest theatre going audience.”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett, set designs by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, special effects by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Jamie Harrison and musical supervision by Martin Lowe.
Casting will be announced at a later date.
J.K. Rowling is the author of the seven Harry Potter novels, which have sold over 450 million copies and have been translated into 78 languages, and three companion books originally published for charity. She is also the author of The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults published in 2012, and, under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, is the author of the Cormoran Strike crime series. J.K. Rowling is making her screen writing debut and is a producer on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a further extension of the Wizarding World, due for release in November 2016.
Jack Thorne writes for theatre, film, television and radio. His theatre credits include Hope and Let The Right One In both directed by John Tiffany, The Solid Life of Sugarwater for the Graeae Theatre Company, Bunny for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Stacy for the Trafalgar Studios, 2nd May 1997 and When You Cure Me for the Bush. His adaptations include The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse and Stuart: A Life Backwards for Hightide. On film his credits include War Book, A Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys. For television his credits include The Last Panthers, Don’t Take My Baby, This Is England, The Fades, Glue and Cast-Offs and the upcoming National Treasure. In 2012 he won BAFTAs for best series (The Fades) and best serial (This Is England 88).
John Tiffany directed Once for which he was the recipient of multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway. As Associate Director of the Royal Court, his work includes The Twits, Hope and The Pass. He was the director of Let The Right One In for the National Theatre of Scotland, which transferred to the Royal Court, West End and St. Ann’s Warehouse. His other work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan, The House of Bernarda Alba, Transform Caithness: Hunter, Be Near Me, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, The Bacchae, Black Watch, for which he won the Olivier and Critics’ Circle Best Director Awards, Elizabeth Gordon Quinn and Home: Glasgow. Other recent credits include The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T. and on Broadway and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was Associate Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2005 to 2012, and was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-2011 academic year.
For further biographies of the full creative team, please visit the official play website HarryPotterthePlay.com
Running times for Part One and Part Two will be announced at a later date.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child supports Lumos, the international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling that works to transform the lives of disadvantaged children.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Palace Theatre, 109-113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 8AY
Tickets for the first four months of performances, including previews (7 June – 18 September 2016) will go on sale online only at 11am GMT on 28 October 2015 on a first come first served basis to all who registered for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child priority booking on the official website HarryPotterthePlay.com.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public, online only, on 30 October 2015 at 11am GMT.
Ticket prices
Previews: £20, £50, £80 or £100 for a seat for both Part One and Part Two of the play; £10, £25, £40 or £50 if bought separately.
Performances after opening from 3 August 2016: £30, £70, £100 or £130 for a seat for both Part One and Part Two of the play; £15, £35, £50 or £65 if bought separately.
Reduced price previews will begin on Tuesday 7 June 2016 and the Opening performances of Part One and Part Two of the play will be on Saturday 30 July 2016 at 2pm and 7.30pm.
In addition four special preview performances are planned for the end of May 2016. Details of when these performances will go on sale will be announced at a later date.
For the schedule of preview performances from 7 June to 3 July 2016, please see the official website HarryPotterthePlay.com
From 6 July 2016, the production will commence its regular performance schedule:
Monday – no performance
Tuesday – no performance
Wednesday – 2pm Part One & 7.30pm Part Two
Thursday – 7.30pm Part One
Friday – 7.30pm Part Two
Saturday – 2pm Part One & 7.30pm Part Two
Sunday – 1pm Part One & 6.30pm Part Two
Weekly Lottery
Every Friday at 1pm, there will be a weekly release online of 20 tickets for each performance. These will be for the following week’s performances and situated in the stalls. Tickets will be £30 during previews and £40 after the show opens to purchase a seat for both Part One and Part Two.
Day Lottery
There will be a daily ticket lottery, with 20 tickets in the stalls at £30 during previews and £40 after the show opens to purchase a seat for both Part One and Part Two. These will be available in person at the Palace Theatre box office on the day of the performance.
Age recommendation
The show is suitable for ages 10 and up.
Access tickets
Please call 0330 333 4410 for booking accessible tickets only or email.
[email protected]. Please note, there are no general ticket sales on this number.
Dates for audio described, signed and relaxed performances to be announced.
For a further summary of booking information please visit the official play website HarryPotterthePlay.com/tickets.
@HPPlayLDN
facebook.com/HPPlayLDN
instagram.com/hpplayldn
Photo: Debra Hurford Brown
