Movies

Spoiler-Free Early Buzz: 'Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Part II' Will Make You Cry

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child artwork
By Peter Sciretta

A couple days ago we published the first reactions to JK Rowling's Harry Potter sequel Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a play which is currently in previews in London's West End. But those reactions were just from Part I, the first night of a two-part story. Last night the first preview performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part II took place and we're going to attempt to "keep the secrets," only presenting to your the spoiler-free reactions. Hit the jump to dive in.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part II

Before we get into the reactions to the second part of this new play, let's revisit one of the big complaints from the opening night performance of Part 1: the live owls. The play included real owls and apparently during the performance the live animals were not performing as trained. One owl missed its cue and just flew off backstage, chased by cast and crew members.  Well the production has decided to get rid of the live owls, a move that PETA is of course applauding.

"The production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently in its preview stage, with the process designed to allow the creative team time to rehearse changes or explore specific scenes further before the play's official opening," the producers said in a statement. "The owls that were associated with the production were expertly cared for by a team of certified trainers and an on-site specialist veterinary surgeon (Steve Smith, member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) who ensured the owls' welfare and enrichment needs were safeguarded at all times. This was of utmost importance to the production."

Also worth noting, the above photo from Part II was released by the production on Twitter to celebrate the first preview run. The photo shows a now grown-up Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy sharing a scene during the first performance.

Part I was two hours and 40 minutes in length while Part 2 clocked in at two hours and 35 minutes, making it a five hour and 15 minute magnum opus. Okay, let's move on to the first Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part II reviews and reactions.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part II Reactions

Hypeable:

The choreography, set design and acting are all stunning. This play is pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible, and the Cursed Child production team are doing things that has never been done before. ... As we ploughed into hour number five of this play, it became apparent that this wasn't a conventional Harry Potter story as we knew it, or even anything that resembles one. There is no complete year in Hogwarts (as per each book), which is quite striking given that this was marketed as the eighth story in the series. Instead, what happens is a self-contained event that wraps up reasonably neatly (not too far from where the story began in the first place). The major differences lie in the dialogue; the script is both funny and clever, filled with laughs but also adrenalin and even sadness at times.
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