Eight years ago, on 30th July 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child burst onto stage at the Palace Theatre London. Set 19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, they set out on a most extraordinary new adventure – joined this time by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts.
With spectacular spells, time-travel and a battle to save the future – this story has taken the world by storm with over 11 million people having seen it worldwide. 1.7 million of those audience members were lucky enough to have experienced the magic in the West End.
With so many people queuing to see it, it’s no surprise that since the opening night in London there have been 2740 performances of Part One and Part Two combined. If we do some quick maths, that adds up to 6432 hours of performance by the London cast – very impressive!
Director John Tiffany reflected on the success of the eighth Harry Potter story: ‘We have been on an incredible journey over the last 8 years, from opening the original production at the Palace Theatre in 2016 to taking the show to audiences worldwide. We have collaborated with many wonderful artists over the years, both on and off stage, all of whom have worked tirelessly to bring Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to our fantastic audiences each and every performance’.
And this is key. It takes a whole village of people to bring this show to life. From the 256 cast members who have appeared in the London performance over the last eight years to the 215 people who have worked backstage at the Palace Theatre to make this show a special experience for any Harry Potter fan.
As one of the play’s writers Jack Thorne said: ‘Making Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was a beautiful experience, working with John and our talented creative team and cast has been a wonderful journey. It really has been a team effort from every person involved in the show, and we are all proud to still be here 8 years on’.
With no sign of slowing down, this play continues to be a fixture on the West End with tickets now bookable for performances up until 6th April 2025. Visit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s website for more information on tickets and performances.
That’s not all! Cursed Child are getting involved with this year’s Back to Hogwarts celebrations with a fantastic new competition. You have the opportunity to win a place at a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child workshop where you will learn the iconic Wand Dance. You can find more information and enter the competition here.
Happy eighth anniversary Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
