Theater News

Harry Potter Stage Play, From Author J.K. Rowling, Announces Theater, Dates

The drama will be directed by ”Once” Tony winner John Tiffany.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will play London's West End in 2016.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will play London's West End in 2016.

The much-anticipated Harry Potter stage play has a name, theater, and creative team.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will open at the Palace Theatre in London's West End in the summer of 2016. The play is written by Jack Thorne (Let the Right One In), based on an original new story by series author J.K. Rowling, Thorne, and director John Tiffany.

The plot of the work is being kept under wraps, although published reports in London's Daily Mail claim that the piece will explore the lives of Harry's parents, Lily and James Potter, before they met their fate at the hands of Lord Voldemort, an event that sets the overarching plot of Rowling's seven books into motion. Rowling herself took to Twitter, however, to dispel the rumor that the play is a prequel to her series.

Tiffany, a Tony winner for Broadway's Once, directs the production, which features movement by his frequent collaborator, Tony-nominated choreographer Steven Hoggett. The Tony-winning creative team also includes Christine Jones (scenic design), Katrina Lindsay (costume design), and Neil Austin (lighting design). Imogen Heap of the band Frou Frou is set to pen original music, with sound design by Gareth Fry and special effects by Jeremy Chernick.

Casting will be announced in the coming months. Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment, and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions serve as producers.