The wands were designed for the production by Olivier Award-winning set designer Christine Jones. Christine worked with her team, including associate set designer Brett J Banakis and props supervisors Lisa Buckley and Mary Halliday, to bring them to life.
Jones spoke to Pottermore about the stories and inspirations behind these two particular wands.
‘When designing the wands, I read as much as I could about wandlore from Pottermore and was inspired by all the kinds of wood. I looked at pictures of trees and branches, in section and in close up, and mostly tried to channel the spirits of the actors and let those move my pencil.’
Unlike their fathers, Harry and Draco, Albus and Scorpius get on rather well. The pair become unlikely best friends in the play, yet their wands are strikingly different.
Albus’s wand is sturdy, with interesting seed-like markings across the base. Jones explained the meaning behind the design.
‘[For Albus’s wand] I looked at cherry blossom buds you see on cherry tree branches and incorporated the feeling of them into the texture. I imagined that Albus would be able to find comfort in running his fingers across them the way you might rub a worry stone. He has a lot to sort out and I imagined his wand as a comfort as well as a magical force.’
Meanwhile, Scorpius’s wand is a strange marbled blend of dark brown and ivory colours, complete with a dramatic curve. His wand also has curious Roman numerals on it, which Jones imagined that the character carved on himself.
‘Scorpius's wand is more rough-hewn. There are dark patches and light patches, and in my mind the markings are the markings of time. I imagine he might have carved them himself as a way of forming his identity by marking time and his presence in the carvings.’
Both wands also have the character’s initials at the bottom. Well, you wouldn’t want to lose them.
The wand designs were first revealed to fans at A Celebration of Harry Potter in Orlando earlier this year, where lucky fans in attendance had the opportunity to see them up close for the first time. They are just two of many wands that were specially designed for the play.
Last year, the wands of Hermione, Harry, Ron, Draco and Ginny were revealed in this sketch.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne, based on an original, new story devised by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. The play is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and opened at London’s Palace Theatre in 2016.
Cursed Child recently won a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards, including Christine for Best Set Design.
The play will have its official opening on Broadway at the freshly renovated Lyric Theatre on 22 April 2018.
You can pick up Scorpius and Albus’s wands at the Cursed Child Online Store here.
