Harry Potter can also (ver)-magic shorter

Magicians whirling through the air, flying dementors and man-eating bookshelves – magic has returned to Hamburg. The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is back on stage. The compact version celebrated its premiere on Sunday evening in Hamburg in the presence of many celebrities.

It is almost two hours shorter than the two-part play that was first performed in December 2021 in the Mehr! Theater on the wholesale market. What remains is the core of the story about the famous sorcerer's apprentice who has grown up and his son, as well as a lot of magic - in front of, behind and above the stage. What was already exciting in the long version is now presented in an even more condensed and rapid manner.

With impressive ease, the actors not only conjure up steam from their ears through perfectly coordinated choreography and sophisticated stage technology, let suitcases fly through the air in slow motion and transform themselves into a different person within seconds. Telephone booths also swallow magicians as a means of transport to the Ministry of Magic. The play is almost a magic show lasting several hours and one always wonders enthusiastically how the team pulled off this trick. And even before you have found the solution, the next magical coup is already pending.

The story penned by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne is a father and son story at its core. Harry Potter (Markus Schöttl) and his son Albus (Vincent Lang) are no longer quite green. Albus suffers from the pressure of his famous father. Harry is disappointed that his son befriended Scorpius Malfoy (Hardy Punzel) - the son of his nemesis Draco Malfoy - at Hogwarts Magic School. The conflict escalates when Harry refuses to go back in time and save his former classmate Cedric Diggory from being killed at the hands of Voldemort. Albus therefore wants to turn back time himself and save Cedric. And that goes terribly wrong.

The story of the eighth book in the successful Harry Potter series, which has been shown in theaters on several continents, was originally told in five hours. In Hamburg, 350,000 people had seen this version in the Hanseatic city.

Then the authors took advantage of the corona lockdown and severely shortened the book, as John Tiffany told the German Press Agency in Hamburg. "We tried to approach the question, 'What is the core of our story?' We worked hard to find a new way to tell our story while keeping its heart, soul and magic," according to the co-author. The new production should offer an epic story and lots of magic, the theater director continued. "So it's fast-paced, dynamic and very exciting."

And so the scenes are shorter in themselves, especially at the beginning the story almost rushes through the first Hogwarts school years. And just as quickly, the stage changes again and again from scene to scene. Only a few objects, swirling cloaks and well-placed light are needed to make it a platform, a train, a library, an office and a bedroom. The scenes flow smoothly and quickly into one another.

During the entire piece, the sound engineering also ensures that the movements on stage become magic and sorcery. Here and there, however, earplugs are recommended - especially when evil is imminent and the music is pounding hard through the theater.

Fans of the "Harry Potter" universe will also enjoy the compact version. You can look forward to a reunion with Moaning Myrtle, the mean teacher Dolores Umbridge, Voldemort and Cedric Diggory, among others. Those who don't know the stories well will still be entertained in the more than three hours.