Due to the epic nature of the story we’ve been working on, Harry Potter & the #CursedChild will be in two parts! @HPPlayLDN
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 24, 2015
J.K. Rowling announced on Twitter that Cursed Child is so epic, that the play will have two parts! The Cursed Child twitter reports that the two parts will play consecutive days in a week, or possibly on the same day. Jack Thorne, a BAFTA winning writer, is a big fan of the decision:
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.
Director John Tiffany added:
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. 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.
While more Harry Potter is never a bad thing, as fans who find themselves in ABC Family Harry Potter marathons will tell you, it may make the play even more inaccessible. I have no doubt that the theater will be completely full and the show will be a treat, but theatre tickets can be pretty expensive and having it in two parts (especially if it’s in different days) might make it harder for visitors that aren’t from London, or even near London. Hopefully they’ll have something like National Theatre Live so non-British audiences will also be able to enjoy the play, if only from afar.
Thorne says, “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.” Tickets for the play will become available sometime this fall, and if you’re lucky enough you can book them here.(Editor’s note: a detailed seating plan can be found here)
(via Pottermore)
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