Second Gala Premiere for "Harry Potter"

Muggles again traveled to Hamburg in droves on Sunday to be surprised by magicians. In more! Theater im Großmarkt celebrated the drama "Harry Potter and the Enchanted Child" for the second time a gala premiere. This was not because the theater management fell victim to the confusion spell "Confundo" and forgot that the gala premiere for the German-language premiere took place a good year ago, but the cause was the use of a very special acceleration magic. This was used outside of what was happening on stage and halved the length of the drama from around seven to three and a half hours.

The new version is therefore practically equivalent to a new play that is played in one evening and meets the need of the post-corona audience to plan at short notice and to leave it at one day in the theater. Most Potter theaters around the world have already switched to the short version. Only in London will the two-parter continue to be shown, which takes a whole day or two evenings and which also caused a full house in Hamburg in the first year: more than 300,000 viewers saw the play, which corresponds to an average occupancy rate of more than 90 Percent.

The new Hamburg version has been played since Sunday by a newly assembled ensemble, the core of which, however, consists of tried and tested forces.

In the role that seems tailor-made for him, Markus Schöttl will continue to play the adult Harry Potter. Vincent Lang remains on stage as his believably confused and overwhelmed son Albus and Sebastian Witt continues to play Ron Weasely in a multi-faceted and humorous manner.

The new stars fit well into the ensemble, with Hardy Punzel leading the way in the role of Scorpius Malfoy, which he fills with new life in his own way. Meera Steinfatt is a sympathetic Rose Granger-Weasely and in the role of Hermine, her mother, Zodwa Selele - known to Hamburg audiences from the "Lion King" and "Sister Act" - cuts an excellent figure.

Alohomora: The new version is a fast-paced spectacle that is even more enjoyable than the longer version. Author Jack Thorne has recreated all of Harry's childhood flashbacks from the joint J.K. Rowling - and hardly anyone misses them. A little more serious is that the stays that Albus Potter and his friend Scorpius Malfoy endure after illegally using time-turners in foreign worlds have also been reduced. Small scenes are missing in the fascist world of the dark wizard Voldemort, which the two young people evoked with their intervention in the story. Neither is Scorpius invited to the bloodball by a racist blonde, nor does he have to face his terrible father, Draco.

Those who only get to know the new version will not miss these pretty moments, because they are not necessary for the course of the story. And the density of the magic, in short the sorcery, tricks and stage effects was doubled when the piece was cut in half, because they all remained untouched. Furthermore, objects and people float through the air, appear and disappear in inexplicable ways, dementors make the audience shiver with their shrill screams, wands spit fire in the final battle. A similar effect as on the magic density can be observed in the rollercoaster of emotions that the actors have to overcome in their generational conflicts. Emotion has also grown. The piece doesn't seem more consistent after the general overhaul, but its pull has become stronger.