Tickets Are Now on Sale for the New, Condensed Version of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

The popularity of Harry Potter has proven as enduring as comparable world-beating IP like Star Wars, for which the audience's appetite for newness and further exploration of the world has no apparent ceiling.

Case in point: the epic two-part production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has enjoyed a huge run in Melbourne's Princess Theatre since debuting in February 2019. The production estimated 326,500 theatre-goers experienced the show in the first year alone — not bad for a play with a five-and-a-half hour run time.

The two-parter finally wraps up its run this month with the final show on March 27. But, fortunately for theatre lovers and Potter stans alike: as one Cursed Child closes, another one opens!

Tickets are now on sale for the new, condensed version of the play opening at the Princess Theatre from May 4, 2022 — a one-part iteration that's currently in the midst of a hugely successful Broadway run. The run time for the reimagined version comes in at far more manageable three-and-a-half hours (including one interval) and, while a third of the length has been removed, none of the magic has. It's the same story, just streamlined. And the brilliant Australian cast from the two-parter is almost entirely the same.

So, what exactly is The Cursed Child about? The story picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry is now a Ministry of Magic employee, married to Ginny Weasley and the play focuses on his youngest son Albus Severus Potter coming of age at Hogwarts in the shadow of his famous father, as both father and son grapple with the past and the future.

It's a fantastic production with plenty of heart, humour and incredibly well-executed magic, which is a credit to those pulling the literal and figurative strings (ropes?) behind the scenes. The new shorter format will mean a much wider audience can experience what is destination theatre-going.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in its two-part form, running until Sunday, March 27, 2022. It switches to a one-session production from May 4, 2022, with tickets for the latter on sale now. For more information, head to the play's website.

Top image: Tim Carrafa. Cast images by Dan Boud.