As we boarded the train in Amsterdam Central Station, my new home disappeared in the distance. A nervous excitement bubbled within as we watched families wave goodbye on the platform until we couldn’t see them anymore. The city soon faded into countryside, stopping every now and then for small mysterious townships. As we moved from one country to another, it was easy to imagine the excitement Harry Potter felt going to Hogwarts for the first time. Leaving behind everything you know for excitement and opportunity in a new, foreign land.
As a child, Hogwarts became an escape for me, like it was for so many others. I would spend years of my young life imagining the deep trees of the Dark Forest, the cool stone hallways of the castle, the warm smells of the Great Hall. I longed to see the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, keeping a close eye out for secret entrances to the Ministry of Magic. Even as an adult, I found myself giddy at the thought. I know I’ll never get to attend the real Hogwarts but London felt like a close start.
Arriving in London
From the moment you arrive, you’re projected into the feeling of everyone’s first journey to Hogwarts. The train arrives in a Victorian station with King’s Cross right across the way. Between Platform 9 and 10, exactly where you would expect it, you find Platform 9 ¾ with a trolley half-stuck in the portal, a line of students waiting their turn. It’s just how you imagine, and you can buy any items you need in a shop nearby.
There are numerous locations throughout London that inspired the series; they offer tours to see all the film locations as well. Honestly, most of London reminds you of fantastical moments from the wizarding world without needing a tour. Camden Market’s bustling stalls with towering piles of wares, each person indistinguishable between wizard and muggle. Visit the Tower Bridge at night to imagine flying on your Nimbus 3000, headed towards an epic battle to save the world. Striding through the cold stone halls of the Tower of London, you can easily imagine slipping on an invisibility cloak to find out what’s behind closed door.
London’s West End Theater District
Much like any other part of the wizarding world, seeing Harry Potter on Broadway was something that seemed near impossible. Seats and locations are limited, especially when we lived in the States. To say I was excited is an understatement! When you arrive in the West End, you’re overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of Broadway plays on every corner. Ahead stands a palace-like theater with small beautiful arched glass window and tall corner towers domed in traditional Victorian style. Above the entrance, the title “Harry Potter & The Cursed Child” features an enormous Snitch with a small child huddled inside.
The theater has an Old World feel inside and out. Rich red and gold colors line the walls and seats, dim lights give things an intimate feel. We had seats in the top balcony, overlooking the entire theater. The stage is enormous with an impressive design. It was like anything could be possible with that setup. You hear the buzz of die-hard fans explaining forgotten plots to their loved ones. As the lights began to dim, a witch announces overhead that the use of any muggle devices will lead you straight to Azkaban. We have no pictures or video for this reason. Dementors…Harry Potter & the Cursed Child
**Spoilers** The following paragraphs vaguely describe the plot and visuals of the play. Things are intentionally vague; it’s impossible to capture the wonder of this play in words but there are things you wouldn’t know, even if you read the book. Be warned **
The screenplay was originally published as a book about students becoming friends and struggling to fit in with their peers. Often facing issues with their famous fathers, these young wizards grapple with the labors of adolescence, while struggling to realize their skills. Efforts to assert themselves as individuals leads to a well-intentioned yet disastrous plan and horrifying results. You’ll see familiar faces that grip your heart, familiar foes that raise your skin, and reality bending transformations. If you’re invested in the books, be prepared to open old wounds as you revisit important moments. The play perfectly captures the heartbreaking, terrifying, and hilarious spirit of the original with the same important message: appreciate those you have, friendship is lifesaving.
The Setting and Sounds
From the moment the lights dim, the narrator grabs your attention with a powerful booming voice, elating the audience every time he arrives. Witches and wizards waft their cloaks, pulling their trolleys to create the world in front of you. You can feel the nervous excitement, dying to see what they do next. As characters present themselves my heart would leap with each name, seeing the happy faces of characters I grew up with felt like seeing old, beloved friends. Their lives turned out exactly like you would imagine, their children nearly exactly like you would hope.
Once again, you get to see what it’s like to go to Hogwarts for the first time. Riding the Hogwarts Express to the Great Hall, the familiar sound of the Sorting Hat, it was amazing to watch the stage transform from train platform to carriage, the Great Hall to potions class. The main students are hilariously awkward with a chemistry that can only come from best friends. Struggling in each class, nonathletic, and anti-social, these kids have nothing but funny banter to help them cope with their unsuccessful lives. Meanwhile, we see their fathers desperately trying to understand the children, unable to find the right combination of honesty, discipline, and support.
Recreating the Magic of Harry Potter
Every one of the actors finds a way of invoking strong emotions. No matter how angry or sad these kids become, they always find subtle ways to make you laugh when you need it most. It’s hard to watch Harry struggle to connect as a father when you know how lonely he was a child. You see two children desperate to define themselves and it kills you to see them threaten everything in order to do it. I found myself remembering the faces of all my favorite characters lost in the battle to end the Dark Lord, stressed and upset at their ignorance of the losses. Yet somehow, you understand. You know what it’s like to feel undefined, needing to prove yourself. So you simply sit back in horrific suspense. In the end, you have to decide which is the Cursed Child.
Each scene is swiftly set, transforming between the world of Hogwarts and the rest of the magical world with ease. What’s impossible to describe is the magic. Aside from the obvious bolts of light for different spells, this production goes above and beyond. There are no words to accurately describe apparition, the floo network, transfiguration, or potion effects. Genuinely. I watched it happen numerous times and I cannot describe how they did it! It really looked like magic; my mind raced with possibility every time it happened. Everything was highly immersive, dark and light magic reach every inch of the room, no matter where you sit.
An Emotional Experience
The play itself is divided into two parts, each with an intermission, often divided between two days; Part One was on Thursday and Part Two on Friday. Honestly, the suspense was an important part of the experience. Part One ends on a haunting note leaving the audience terrified and unsure. Waiting, wondering, and worrying is very much worth it. Part Two thrusts you into dire circumstances that spiral continuously out of control; revelations and clever problem-solving thrill as we pray for them to figure it out. The play enters its finality by ripping out your insides, old wounds are reopened and I found myself feeling all the loss and pain of all seven books. I cried blatantly in public.
By the time the play ends, I felt the same way I did after every book. Elated by the wonder of it all and disillusioned by the muggle world; fighting to keep my imagination with me, envisioning magic everywhere I go. It’s easy to see magic in the city of London; easy to imagine being a wizard, a queen, a knight, a lord. I would see the play a million times in a million places but London will always feel extra special.
Have you seen Harry Potter in Broadway? Do you wish you could go? Let us know what you think in the comments below to tell us all about it!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on stage in London England 
Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station in London 
Near Kings Cross Station in London England
