UPDATED: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” to Be Told in Two Parts

by · September 24, 2015

Today, J.K. Rowling revealed on Twitter that the upcoming Harry Potter stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will be told in two parts:

Following Rowling’s announcement, Pottermore posted a more detailed article to explain the decision. Playwright Jack Thorne said,

Obviously[,] I loved it when we decided to tell this story in two parts because I got to spend more time with the characters, and what an honour that has been.

It continues to be unbelievable and amazing that I’ve been given this extraordinary chance to bring Harry Potter to the stage. As a fan, who just devoured the books and the films, this couldn’t be more exciting for me.

John Tiffany, who will be directing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, also weighed in:

I’ve never worked on anything quite like this before. Usually in theatre, you’re adapting existing material or creating an entirely new play. With the Cursed Child we have been given the unique opportunity to explore some of the most cherished books and beloved characters ever written, yet work with J.K. Rowling to tell a story from that world that no one yet knows – it’s exhilarating.

It shares a scale and ambition with all the Harry Potter stories[,] so in order to do this justice we have decided to present the play in two parts.

Additionally, both Thorne and Tiffany expressed their excitement for the play to come to life on the stage. Thorne commented,

I just hope we do it justice. I’m so constantly aware of respecting the previous seven stories… I hope people love this play like they loved the books. Everything we do is with that in mind.

Tiffany echoed Thorne’s sentiment, saying,

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…’

UPDATE:

According to the Daily Mail, Sonia Friedman, one of the play’s producers, has explained how the two-part structure will likely work:

It can be seen on consecutive days in the same week or in some instances on the same day.

The author of the Daily Mail article, Baz Bamigboye, speculated,

But my understanding is that parts one and two will be performed on consecutive weekdays, while at weekends, audiences will be able to watch both parts in one day.

Another producer of the play, Colin Callender, emphasized, however, that the play’s scheduling is still a work in progress:

Access is important to us, and certainly, we want audiences to see the plays in the same week.

While it remains to be seen how the decision to split the play into two parts will affect scheduling and ticket sales, we at MuggleNet will provide more updates as soon as they become available.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will premiere on London’s West End in the summer of 2016 at the Palace Theatre. Tickets for the production will go on sale this fall, and you can register for priority booking here.

What do you think of the decision to tell the play’s story in two parts? Are you looking forward to seeing Cursed Child? Let us know in the comments below!