'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Will Resume Its Melbourne Season in 2021
Break out the butterbeer — the acclaimed play will bring its magic back to the stage in February.
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, the production has announced that it's returning in 2021.
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 — can mark Thursday, February 25, 2021 in their diaries, as that's when the magic is returning. The show will resume after a 49-week hiatus, with tickets currently available until Sunday, July 18.
If you already hold a ticket for shows originally scheduled for January 20–February 24, those performances are being postponed and rescheduled — and you'll be automatically moved to an alternative date from July 21 onwards (and with the same seats you originally booked). You'll also be given the option to exchange your ticket to an earlier show, if you'd prefer.
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 returns to Melbourne's Princess theatre from Thursday, February 25, 2021, with tickets on sale now.
Top image: Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made.
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