Jamie Parker, who played Harry Potter in the stage production, initially thought the show was a terrible idea. He admitted: 'I’m happy to admit now that I thought the show was a terrible idea. But a lot of hit shows are terrible ideas on paper.' He was drawn to the project by the creative team, including producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, and writer Jack Thorne. Parker recalled: 'I thought, if this is as close as I get to being in This Is England, I’ll do it.'
Preparing for the role
Parker listened to Stephen Fry’s audiobooks of the Harry Potter series on a loop. By the end of rehearsals and performances in London and New York, he had listened to the entire series seven times. He said: 'By the time I got through the rehearsals, the year in London, and then the year in New York when it went to Broadway, I had listened to the entire series seven times and was a bit of a Potterhead.'
The play picks up 19 years after the events of the final book, focusing on the next generation. Parker noted: 'The two parts of the play are the story of the next generation coming up, and of chickens coming home to roost, but it wasn’t a one-man show and the pressure felt shared.' He also shared a personal connection: 'Like Harry, I was barely 12 when I also got on a train and went to a boarding school in Scotland. I also had round glasses!'
Challenges with magic and illusions
Parker faced difficulties with the magical elements, particularly his spatial awareness. He explained: 'As anyone in my life will tell you, I can’t walk through a doorway without banging the back of my hand against the latch – my spatial awareness is dreadful. That I went through all those tight entrances and exits, and around all those bits of heavy moving machinery at speed, in the dark, without ever doing myself or anyone else serious mischief is a miracle.'
During one performance, his wand flew out of his hand during a duel scene with Alex Price (Draco). Parker said: 'One night in the duel scene with Alex Price (Draco), I gesticulated and my wand caught on part of my clothing. It skittered out of my hand, and helicoptered downstage right. Without thinking I launched myself after it and blindly reached into the dark with half my torso off the stage in the auditorium. Somehow I caught it. Alex just went, “Yes!” – like he was watching the cricket!'
Audience reaction
The first preview generated an extraordinary atmosphere. Parker described: 'The ripple of energy and anticipation that went through the theatre was almost visual. It was put to us that this was like opening the new Star Wars film but in one cinema worldwide – we had audiences coming from Australia to the Philippines to Canada.' He added: 'Audiences were in their seats 10 minutes before the start and I didn’t hear a phone go off once. I’ve never known attentiveness in an audience like it.'
Illusions design
Jamie Harrison, the illusions designer, started in magic as a child and later founded his own theatre company, Vox Motus. When he received the first draft of the play, he recalled: 'I couldn’t sleep for three nights thinking, “What have I done? This is so full on. There’s so much magic!”' He drew on classic illusions while adding new twists. 'I’ve always tried to draw on the work of brilliant illusionists of the past, while reworking them so that we’re bringing something new to audiences,' he said.
One of the most popular illusions is the phone box entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Harrison explained that the director initially resisted using a phone box: 'John [Tiffany, the director] was trying to give the show its own identity and make it distinct from the films. He said, “I don’t want to a big red phone box on stage … can we think of a different way of doing it?”' They explored alternatives, including a replica of a vintage emergency telephone booth found in old photos of King’s Cross. However, after a test preview with Harry Potter superfans, feedback demanded a phone box. Harrison said: 'One of the main bits of feedback was: “You can’t do the Ministry of Magic without a phone box!” So Sonia and John said, “We know we said we didn’t want a phone box, but we need one by this time next week!”'
Technology and secrets
Harrison noted that the show relies heavily on technology. 'There are a lot of computers – it looks like a spaceship,' he said. He refused to reveal secrets but explained: 'The show uses shadows and light in ingenious and incredibly precise new ways. It might look very organic and handmade, but there is an absolute wodge of technology involved and a huge crew.'
The Expelliarmus spell, where a wand jumps from one hand to another, requires extensive practice. Harrison said: 'The Expelliarmus spell is a highly skilled effect that the performers have to start practising on day one – there’s a real knack to getting it right.' He demonstrated it for JK Rowling during early workshops. 'She was really interested to see that and the Time Turner when she came to one of the early workshops. We set up a presentation, but none of the performers were confident enough to do it yet. So John said, “You’re going to have to perform it.” I was more nervous than the flipping actors! I demonstrated it and she went, “Oh! Do that again!” You know you’ve got somebody if they ask to see it again. I was thrilled.'
The original two-part production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrates its 10th anniversary on 30 July and is at the Palace theatre, London until 20 September; the one part production opens on 9 October.
