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Three years after the play opened in London, we finally went to see the show considered to be the eighth installment of Harry Potter. The production won 9 Olivier Awards and 6 Tony Awards. The show is now in 6 different countries and we can see why!
The show is split into two parts; each about 2h40.
We wondered how the enchanted world of Harry Potter could possibly be recreated on stage; especially after the movies.
And yet, being so close to the actors and the magic tricks makes the effects much more impressive.
Sensational actors
The acting performance is remarkable and must be physically as well as emotionally draining. The actors disappear and reappear in seconds on the other side of the stage, mastering the space down to the millimeter to ensure the credibility of the magic effects.
History takes us through different realities and different moments in time. The actors therefore play several different versions of the same character with subtlety. It's amazing!
What is very refreshing is to see the roles reversed: we discover Harry Potter as a somewhat lost father. Although he is Director of the Ministry of Magic, he finds it difficult to contain his anger and cannot communicate with his son. Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius Malfoy is a young teenager who lacks self-confidence and is withdrawn. There are rumors that he is Voldemort's child.
He finds in Albus Potter, Harry's second son, an unexpected friendship.
What's great is JK Rowling's loyalty to the world in the way she presents the characters. Each character has an emotional arc and presents different sides.
We note in particular the performance of Jonathan Case who plays Scorpius Malfoy. He brings a lot of humor and tenderness. The young actor takes us on a real adventure: we see his confidence and his friendship with Albus growing. It takes us from laughs to tears in seconds. Dominic Short, who plays Albus and he too is superb and they have a real chemistry on stage.
Find the trailer of the play currently in London:
A pretty emotional part of the show is reuniting with beloved characters from JK Rowling's books. We recognize Dumbledore, Hagrid and Snape, to name a few. There are a lot of nods to other characters in the books that touch us.
Another aspect that I greatly appreciated is that the play gives importance to tertiary characters who prove to be decisive in the unfolding of the plot.
A magical scenic direction
What is most striking are all the same the illusions of magic. I, who love to know how tricks work: I am unable to understand how they are carried out. All effects are adjusted to the millimeter and reflect a real troop spirit to ensure the proper functioning of all effects. The characters transform into others before our eyes: the magic is real!
We also applaud the creative and technical team who imagined and execute the show with rare precision.
Even if it is clear that the production must have been expensive, the sets are very minimal and this allows to vary the intensities of the scenes. It brings out the scenic magic and helps focus on the visual effects. The use of two large stairs like the ones at Hogwarts is perfectly effective. The staging invests the stage in its entire length, height and width (as well as the armchairs!), The actors fly away, float and even find themselves in the water.
And they haven't made their lives easy; each transition and movement is full of magic and details to make the show as fluid as possible while keeping the gleams of the magic world.
The plot is full of twists and turns. The two young heroes use the Time Turner to travel through the ages a number of times. It's very nifty but sometimes a bit repetitive. Awesome and exciting, the return of Voldemort and his followers, always so scary!
Some small flats
It's still a hell of an investment! We are at the theater for 5 hours! If it's an amazing experience, I think the show could have been shortened a little bit to fit in one game.
The spectacle does not force a very advanced intellectual journey: the work is sometimes a little chewed. The characters repeat their first names and relationships several times per scene to ensure that everyone follows. This makes the dialogues sometimes a little ridiculous.
I absolutely recommend this show just for the visual experience and the thrills it brings us. We are truly transported to the world of Harry Potter.
This show redefines the scenic and visual possibilities of the theater. Do not miss!
See the show
Tickets are still available online and there are several ways to get them.
You can buy online either with Nimax or with ATG. Prices range from £ 15 to £ 200 per game.
The theater ticket office is located on the side of the theater at Shaftesbury Avenue.
Finally, the Today Tix mobile application offers a digital lottery. You have to enter the lottery on Monday morning and with (very) luck you can get tickets for £ 20.