'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Is Extending Its Melbourne Season Until December
Break out the butterbeer — the acclaimed play will keeping wielding its magic until the end of the year.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows dropped its last terrible three words on us at the close of the book, all was not well. It would never be well without Harry, Ron, Hermione fighting the Dark Lord in a series of fantastical and wholly engrossing scenarios. But, little did we know, this would not be the end of the Age of Harry Potter. Thanks to the internet and the sheer demand for all things HP, Harry has lived on through new books, fan website Pottermore, the Fantastic Beasts film spinoff series and all manner of events dedicated to the franchise.
One of the biggest things to come of the post-Harry Potter era has been Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, of course — aka the West End play that's essentially the eighth book in the series. It first arrived in Australia in February 2019, hitting up Melbourne's Princess Theatre, and proved unsurprisingly popular. Now, after closing down during the Victorian capital's 2020 lockdowns, then returning early in 2021, the production has announced that it's sticking around until the end of the year.
Muggles, rejoice. Harry Potter fandom aside, this is also something that all theatre-goers can get excited about. Since debuting in London in July 2016, the production has won a swathe of awards and has proven a repeated sell-out — in the West End, on Broadway and in San Francisco, too.
Melburnians — and other Australian Harry Potter and/or theatre aficionados — will be able to access tickets for the new dates from 9am on Thursday, April 29. You'll be able to book right through until Sunday, December 12. So yes, if you feel like a pre-festive date with all things Potter, that's on the cards.
So what exactly is The Cursed Child about? Well, it picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and that abominably cheery epilogue on Platform 9 3/4. Harry is now an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, and the play focuses on both him and his youngest son Albus Severus Potter as they grapple with the past and future. The production is presented in two parts, so you'll have to book into two performances, either on the same day (matinee and evening) or on consecutive evenings.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing at Melbourne's Princess theatre until December 12, 2021, with tickets for the newly extended season on sale from 9am on Thursday, April 29.
Top image: Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made.