Harry Potter Play Maps Out Cursed Child Plot

When the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was announced in June, author J.K. Rowling assured fans of the boy wizard that the London production was not a prequel to the popular series. However, despite Rowlings insistence, fans continued to believe that the stage show was a prequel. On Friday, Rowling took to Twitterto clarify the actual time frame of Cursed Child: Nineteen years after the story ends in the series final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Rowlings Pottermore site also provided a detailed plot description for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isnt much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

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Londons Palace Theater, where Cursed Child will be staged, initially stated in June that the shows plot would explore the backstory leading up to Harrys parents untimely death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, causing fans to speculate whether the play was actually a prequel. In addition to the plays official plot, producers announced that tickets for June 2016 preview performances for the West End show will go on sale October 28th.

Rowling also previously revealed that, due to the epic nature of the production, the play would take place in two parts, with the audience choosing whether to view the entire spectacle in one sitting or break it up over the course of two viewings. Part One will only be half the story, so the experience would be incomplete without seeing how the story ends. Likewise, if you only see Part Two you may find it hard to follow the story, the Cursed Child site warns. We recommend that you see Part One first, as it would be difficult to understand Part Two without seeing Part One. It would be like beginning one of the books in the middle!

In June, when Rowling was asked why she opted to continue the Harry Potter saga on the stage instead of the page, she wrote, I am confident that when audiences see the play, they will agree that it was the only proper medium for the story. Ive had countless offers to extend Harrys story over the years, but Jack, John and [producer] Sonia Friedman are a dream team! It has been a huge pleasure to share with them (and soon, with you!) this untold part of Harrys story.