‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ is a Magical Spectacle from Start to Finish
The sequel play born from the famous franchise of the same name is playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center now through Saturday, October 4.
Photo by Matthew Murphy / Courtesy of the Providence Performing Arts Center
I will be candid: I felt very conflicted going into this show.
As many are aware, the Harry Potter franchise’s author has repeatedly expressed anti-trans rhetoric in recent years. As both a queer woman and a diehard Harry Potter fan, it deeply hurts to watch someone I once admired direct so much animosity towards a marginalized group, especially when her own art taught me from a young age to do the very opposite.
Photo by Matthew Murphy / Courtesy of the Providence Performing Arts Center
On a separate note, I had read the original Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hardcover when it first published in 2016, and to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan. And this was coming from a true Potterhead — I was at every midnight book release and movie premiere in the early aughts and can, to this day, crush almost anyone in trivia about either medium. All these years later, my overall recollection of my reaction was that I didn’t particularly enjoy its script formatting, and I didn’t agree with some of the characterization and plot points. But to be fair, I’ve only read it the once and haven’t revisited the story since. Until now.
A quick refresher for those who may not be as familiar with the continuation: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up nineteen years after the Voldemort’s demise and follows the titular character’s youngest son, Albus Potter, as he begins his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike his father, Albus does not get into Gryffindor, is not a natural Quidditch player, and is more drawn to potions than wand magic. He also becomes best friends with Draco Malfoy’s (aka Harry’s childhood rival) son Scorpius. Without giving too much away, both boys’ family histories come back to haunt them: from Albus living under the Boy Who Lived’s shadow to Scorpius dealing with dark rumors about his origins to literal time travel shenanigans.
Photo by Matthew Murphy / Courtesy of the Providence Performing Arts Center
When I saw that the six-time Tony Award-winning play — which has been adapted by Jack Thorne for the stage — had finally left its original run in London behind and that the National Tour would be making a stop in Providence, I knew I had to give the story a second chance. At the very least I would be supporting a local theater that I adore.
Now, maybe it was because the story had been reworked, or maybe it was the charisma of the cast, or maybe it was the insane production value… Regardless, I was hooked from the very jump. Two minutes in and I could already happily recognize the characters I loved in the adult versions of Nick Dillenburg’s Harry, Matt Harrington’s Ron andEbony Blake’s Hermione, and I likewise was intrigued by the immediate use of what I can only describe as practical stage magic — the gasps we all gasped when the students changed from student clothes into Hogwarts robes in the blink of an eye!
In fact, the latter point is half the fun of the show. Every time a familiar magical concept was mentioned or introduced — Polyjuice potion, transfiguration, flying, dueling and so on — I found myself eagerly anticipating how the cast and crew would pull it off, and they never disappointed. All thanks to superb set designs (special shout out to the moving staircases, a signature staple in both the books and the films that here serve as brilliant scene transitions), wardrobe (the cloaks are a character in and of themselves), masterful lighting and meticulous choreography.
The acting is also on point. For me, the standout was David Fine, who played Scorpius Malfoy. That character wasn’t much of a highlight for me in the book, but this version, with his earnest, kind nature and impeccable comedic timing, is a delight and quite memorable. Katherine Leask also did an incredible job of making me smile when she took a turn as Professor McGonagall and recoil when she shrieked as Professor Umbridge, while Larry Yando invoked all of the conflicting emotions that Severus Snape should.
Photo by Matthew Murphy / Courtesy of the Providence Performing Arts Center
Furthermore, the show makes up for diversity that is sorely missing from the original franchise, both in casting and in the story itself. In fact, the main love story is between two young men — some may argue its platonic, or that the LGBTQ theme is not as explicit as it could be, but I’d say the implication is pretty clear by the curtain call, and I was very happy to see it be given its due and not treated like an afterthought (see: Dumbledore’s backstory).
Finally, I also was pleased that the overall message, despite the original author’s contrasting views on X, echoes its predecessor’s theme of uplifting outsiders and emphasizing love and acceptance. I can only hope that that’s what new fans of Harry Potter, in all its forms, will always hold onto and take away from it.
If you’d like to witness the magic for yourself, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center now through Saturday, October 4. See the full list of show times and purchase tickets here. If the prices seem a bit steep, you also can enter the Golden Snitch Digital Lottery via Lucky Seat — lottery winners for each show will get the chance to purchase two tickets for $40 a piece. Learn more here. For more about upcoming shows at the Providence Performing Arts Center, visit ppacri.org.
