JK Rowling has confirmed that the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will open in London in 2016. Rowling tweeted that the drama is “an untold part of Harry’s story” and the result of her collaboration with the playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany.
Reports of the play being a Potter prequel have swirled around for months but Rowling dispelled those rumours in a tweet, while adding: “I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil what I know will be a real treat for fans.”
Pre-empting the question of why she is working on a play rather than another Potter novel, she said that when audiences see the show they will agree that theatre was the “only proper medium” for this particular story.
Thorne remained similarly tight-lipped:
The show will open at the Palace theatre, which is currently home to The Commitments. It is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions. Tiffany and Thorne will be reuniting with movement director Steven Hoggett and set designer Christine Jones; the four of them had a hit with the stage version of Let the Right One In. The other creatives involved include costume designer Katrina Lindsay and musician Imogen Heap.
Rowling made the announcement on the 18th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the UK. Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will go on sale this autumn. Further details will be announced in summer 2015 – keep an eye on the show’s official website for details.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion