• By MuggleNet Editorial Staff
• 30 Jul, 2026
• Cursed Child

Ten years ago today, the doors of London’s Palace Theatre opened on one of the most ambitious productions the West End had seen. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child officially premiered July 30, 2016, bringing a new generation of Potters, Weasleys and Malfoys to the stage.

A decade later, the original London production remains at the Palace Theatre and has now been seen by more than 2.5 million people. Its tenth anniversary arrives at a particularly significant moment: The landmark two-part version is preparing to conclude its West End run before a reimagined, one-part production begins this fall.

Over the past ten years, 276 cast members have performed in the London production, including 45 actors making their professional stage debuts. The company has presented a combined 1,762 performances of Parts One and Two, amounting to more than 8,300 hours onstage.

The production has also introduced more than 300,000 people to live theater for the first time.

Playwright Jack Thorne described the show’s longevity as the result of a shared creative effort involving both the company and the people watching from the auditorium.

“Creating Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been a truly wonderful experience, and we are all delighted to be celebrating 10 years in the West End,” Thorne said. “From the very beginning, it has been a collective effort, shaped by the passion, creativity and dedication of every person involved in bringing our show to the stage.”

Director John Tiffany similarly credited the artists and crews who have sustained the production over the past decade.

“We wouldn’t be reaching this milestone without the many brilliant artists, both on stage and behind the scenes, who have all contributed their astonishing talent and unwavering enthusiasm to bring this remarkable story to life at each and every performance,” he said.

Jack Thorne and John Tiffany (technical rehearsals)

A West End Production with Global Reach

The London production’s success helped transform Cursed Child into an international theatrical franchise. More than 14 million people have now seen the play worldwide.

Four productions are currently running in London, New York, Tokyo and the Netherlands, as well as on a North American tour. Previous versions have been staged in Hamburg, Melbourne, San Francisco and Toronto.

The play has received 60 major honors globally. Its London production won a record nine Laurence Olivier Awards, the most ever received by a play, while the Broadway production earned six Tony Awards.

Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said the production’s impact extended beyond the Wizarding World and helped expand expectations surrounding the scale of modern theatrical storytelling.

“No one involved in those earliest days could have foreseen that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would transform the theatrical landscape, inspiring audiences worldwide and redefining what was possible on stage,” they said in a joint statement.

They also reflected on the themes that have helped the story endure through a changing decade, including friendship, grief, family and the uncertainty of moving forward.

(London) Year 7 cast opening night

The Original Two-Part Production Enters Its Final Weeks

The anniversary is also a farewell of sorts.

The original two-part production will play its final performance at the Palace Theatre on September 20, 2026. It currently holds the distinction of being the longest-running modern West End play presented as a two-part theatrical experience.

Tickets remain available from £15 per part. Parts One and Two are generally performed on the same day, allowing audiences to follow the complete story across an afternoon and evening.

Beginning October 9, the Palace Theatre will welcome a reimagined version of Cursed Child told in a single performance. Tickets for the one-part production start at £25, with booking currently open through June 27, 2027.

The shift gives London audiences one final opportunity to experience the sprawling original format before the production enters its next chapter.

Scorpius (Kai Spackman) and Albus (Joshua Sullivan), photo credit Manuel Harlan

The Current West End Cast

The current London company is led by David Ricardo-Pearce as Harry Potter, Claire Lams as Ginny Potter and Joshua Sullivan as their son, Albus Potter.

Thomas Aldridge plays Ron Weasley alongside Naana Agyei-Ampadu as Hermione Granger, with Tamia-Renée Alexandra appearing as Rose Granger-Weasley. Oliver Boot plays Draco Malfoy, and Kai Spackman takes on the role of Scorpius Malfoy.

The story begins 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, as Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Draco face the complicated lives of their children. At the center are Albus and Scorpius, whose friendship and attempts to alter the past send the Wizarding World into a dangerous race through time.

Written by Thorne from an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and Tiffany, the production combines Tiffany’s direction with movement by Steven Hoggett, sets by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music by Imogen Heap and illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison.

Featured photo: Jack Thorne backstage at the Olivier Awards 2017 with Mastercard after winning Best New Play (Photo by David Levene)

All photos courtesy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child