The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child already had every reason to get people excited: not only is it directed by John Tiffany and movement-directed by Steven Hoggett (both of whom had the same roles in creating the National Theater of Scotland’s Let the Right One In), it’s co-written by Tiffany and Let the Right One In adaptor Jack Thorne… oh, and the third co-writer happens to be J.K. Rowling herself. But now, excitement can and certainly will spike, as it’s been revealed that they’re calling this the “eighth story.” Meaning, this isn’t another Harry Potter-adjacent story like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but is, rather, considered a (theatrical) continuation of the Harry Potter series.
“It’s safe to say that The Cursed Child picks up from where The Deathly Hallows ended,” the producer, Sonia Friedman, told The Daily Mail. The emphasis here may make people recall the epilogue, where Harry’s son, Albus Severis, frets about whether he’ll be sorted into Slytherin.
As /Film reports, both the artwork for the play and the official plot description have been shared on the website for the production — and give hints as to how it might respond to that final question in the epilogue. Here’s the official synopsis:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
Does “unexpected places” — when taken in conjunction about Albus’ Slytherin-related concerns — refer to the Voldemort-fused Potter bloodline? What is the curse the titular cursed child (presumably Harry Potter’s son, Albus Severis) bears? Will he turn on Harry due to the “family legacy he never wanted?” Or is this all suggestive of more muggle-ish daddy issues — with Harry now being a seeming workaholic?
Rowling’s stories are often labyrinthine and biblically long, and many fans will be thankful to know that this play is no exception: it’s being broken into two parts — which can be seen in matinee/evening format in one day or on consecutive evenings. For each, tickets will be available for £15 and up (though low-priced tickets will be distributed via lottery).
The play begins previews in May 2016, and will premiere in July at the Palace Theatre in London. It’s guaranteed to be quite a large spectacle, boasting a cast of over 30 and incidental music by Imogen Heap.