#KeepTheSecrets

After a few weeks of very little happening on the blog, I've a lot of updates in a short period of time, culminating in the biggest update of them all. But we'll come to that in due time.

The exterior of the Palace Theatre, London.

First of all, Debs and I were lucky enough to secure tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the play that is currently in previews at the Palace Theatre in London. Written by J K Rowling and Jack Thorne, this is the official 8th story, continuing the tale of Harry Potter long after the Battle of Hogwarts and the defeat of the dark lord Voldemort.

Debs outside the theatre!

JK Rowling has expressed a desire for people to "#KeepTheSecrets" and not spoil the story for people, making sure that the surprises in the play (and there are plenty of those) remain surprises. And I respect that. But I did want to write a blog post about it.

Don't worry, NO SPOILERS!!!

I'm not a massive theatre goer, though we are both huge Harry Potter fans. I must admit, I went in a little worried. What if it was going to be the new Attack of the Clones? What if it was awful and tarnished my love of Potter forever?

Luckily, I had nothing to worry about.

Recapping the final moments of the last book, sending Albus Severus Potter off to Hogwarts for the first time, the play continues, following a new generation of Hogwarts students, coping not only with their own troubles, but also with the legacies of their incredibly famous parents.

Again, without spoiling things, the story of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child echoes the themes and events of the previous books perfectly, with humour, action and deeply emotional moments that had the audience enthralled from the very start.

Me, looking like a goon, outside the theatre as well.

The production was astounding. The sets were perfectly designed, with elements that echoed throughout the theatre, right down to the wallpaper, and even the decoration at the various bars.

There were magical elements, both with stage effects and trickery to reflect the magic of the wizarding world, that had us all gasping, and even looking back on it now it's difficult to see how it's pulled off so quickly and seamlessly. We were amazed.

However, the best element of the play by far is the cast. Everyone (and I mean, everyone) is perfect in their roles, but the real standout performances had to be Albus Potter (Sam Clemmett) and Scorpius Malfoy (Anthony Boyle). Bringing an awkwardness to their roles that perfectly fit their characters, they shone in every scene they were in, with such humour and emotional depth you really felt for them both.

L to R: Harry Potter (Jamie Parker), Albus Potter (Sam
Clemmett) and Ginny Potter (Poppy Miller)

There are revelations in the play that will have everyone gasping, laughing and crying. Previews end 31st July (aptly Harry's birthday) and a fresh batch of tickets go on sale in August for May 2017-2018 and we're already considering going again. 

The script for the previews will be published on the 31st July as well, so if you can't make it to the play, you can read the story for yourself (and it will be published again before the end of the year with the final version of the script - the post previews version, so to speak).

It's seriously a must for any Potter fan.