G’day, mate. We’re a long way from home, reporting on the premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which has just opened at The Princess Theatre in Melbourne.
The play, which serves as the eighth Harry Potter story, has already been entertaining audiences in London and New York, picking up multiple theatre awards along the way. This is the third continent Cursed Child is opening to – starring an impressive cast, with Gareth Reeves in the title role as Harry Potter.
Many wonderful guests were out in full force on the red carpet to commemorate the new production opening, along with director John Tiffany, playwright Jack Thorne, and producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender.
Sonia Friedman spoke of her delight at seeing the Wizarding World brought to a sunnier location.
‘It’s such a beautiful production here, Australia has done us so proud. Audience reactions are just out of this world and off the scales.’
Colin Callender also spoke of the incredible reactions to the play so far.
‘It’s fun seeing the show on the other side of the world, and people respond in exactly the same way. The show sits side by side, shoulder to shoulder with London and New York.’
Speaking of the London and New York productions, well wishes winged their way over from the West End and Broadway. Check out this excitable video from the cast at The Lyric Theatre.
Congratulations and have an amazing opening day #CursedChildAUS! pic.twitter.com/JFc92BKv5l
— Cursed Child NYC (@HPPlayNYC) February 21, 2019
And they weren’t the only ones with a heartfelt message for the Melbourne company. Ahead of the big day, J.K. Rowling revealed her ‘heart was in Oz’, as she sent a beautiful cake and hand-written letter to The Princess Theatre.
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Of course, it wouldn’t be a Wizarding World premiere without throngs of fans gathered by the red carpet. From handmade Luna Lovegood headdresses to Slytherin house robes, the hot weather didn’t stop the creative costumes, and we spoke to a fan who was lucky enough to secure a ticket for opening night.
‘I haven’t read the script, so I’m going in without any knowledge,’ said Kayley. ‘I’m here with friends from a Harry Potter society at uni, and we’re all so excited to see the play for the first time.’
And there’s good news for other fans who want to see the production in Melbourne - more tickets are released this Tuesday, with more information available on the Cursed Child website.
It’s been a magical day! #CursedChildAUS pic.twitter.com/E529gdG2K7
— Cursed Child AUS (@HPPlayAUS) February 23, 2019
After the show, we caught up with Harry, Ron and Hermione themselves, as actors Gareth Reeves, Gyton Grantley and Paula Arundell talked about the special atmosphere in The Princess Theatre.
‘It was gorgeous,’ Paula recalled. ‘We’ve been on this journey for so long, so to finally be able to share it with friends and family in the audience was just magic’.
Gyton gave an insight into his preparation for the role of Ron Weasley, which included visits to a very familiar website…
‘I love Pottermore! You guys have been very valuable for my research. Stuff goes deep on Pottermore.’
Happy to help, Gyton!
It’s fair to say, the opening of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has made Melbourne even more magical. Enjoy some of our favourite tweets from the big day – and we’ll update you on more exciting Cursed Child news soon.
“My heart is in Oz tonight”. Sonia Friedman reads a letter from @JK_Rowling, sending her love and a beautiful @StickyFingersAU cake to the company ahead of #CursedChildAUS Opening Day today! pic.twitter.com/rXnhizXwHL
— Cursed Child AUS (@HPPlayAUS) February 22, 2019
Playwright Jack Thorne describes the subtle differences in the Melbourne production #CursedChildAUS pic.twitter.com/gEWoUFirgw
— Pottermore (@pottermore) February 23, 2019
It’s nearly time! #CursedChildAUS pic.twitter.com/L1bc96B7z3
— Cursed Child AUS (@HPPlayAUS) February 23, 2019
Mischief managed. These guys just opened in #CursedChildAUS in Melbourne! Here’s a message from Scorpius, Albus and Rose (William McKenna, Sean Rees-Wemyss and Manali Datar) ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/v6s2qwAfyc
— Pottermore (@pottermore) February 23, 2019
To look at ticket details for Cursed Child in Melbourne, and to find out more about the production, check the website.
