Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: A View from the Wings
By Ben Walsh, Year 12
4th September: The Play is Announced
As I sit in the assembly and Ms. Stokes stands up to announce this year’s production, I already know what it will be. Last term, I discovered that the licensing for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released for schools in the UK and USA. Having been a massive Harry Potter nerd as a child (and most definitely still am), I suggested it to Ms. Stokes, thinking nothing would come of it—it seemed like a wild and ambitious idea. How would we travel in time? How could we make brooms fly? How could we make people disappear? So, when Ms. Stokes told me we had secured the rights, I was stunned, shocked, and flabbergasted. My immediate thought was, how could we ever create the magic of Harry Potter in real life?
17th September: 15 Weeks to First Performance
The cast list was released today, and I was excited to see who would bring the world of Harry Potter to life. Once I saw the list, I knew we were in good hands. The next day was our first proper rehearsal—no more playing Splat (sadly)—but we were truly getting stuck into rehearsal. Luckily, my Amazon package with all the stationery I’d need to stage manage this behemoth of a show arrived just in time.
1st November: 9 Weeks to First Performance
We are six weeks into rehearsals and have finally finished blocking the 22 scenes of Act One (yes, 22 scenes in Act One! When I said it was a massive production, I didn’t expect it to be this big). We’ve been working hard from 4 PM to 6 PM every Wednesday and Friday, blocking an average of two scenes per rehearsal. I’m surprised by how much energy everyone still has.
8th January: 3 Weeks to First Performance
We’ve just come back from the Christmas holidays, and it’s really starting to set in how close we are to opening night. This was our first rehearsal with the set, and I’m realizing (for the sixth or seventh time) just how big this production is going to be. My co-stage manager and I have started recruiting crew members to move the two massive staircases, three blocks, two doors, bed, table, sink, bookcase, and three desks. That’s rather a lot, isn’t it?
18th January: 2 Weeks to First Performance
Today, we did our first full run-through of the entire play, and it took eight hours. Yes, EIGHT whole hours! How are we ever going to get down to the two-and-a-half-hour runtime of the final production? That sentiment was shared by the entire cast as we looked at the mountain of costumes, set pieces, wigs, and props. We wrapped up the day with the bows, which was... well, a stress. Getting our cast of forty, the crew, and hair and makeup people onstage for bows in less than a minute was choreographed to the second. As the backstage crew bowed on the stairs, I realized how high it was and was very thankful for the handrail.
25th January: Less Than a Week to First Performance
Today, we had a rehearsal dedicated solely to us—the backstage crew—where we went through the entire script and decided the set for each scene. By the end, I looked down at the table I made with each person’s job for each scene change and guess what I found? Forty-seven scene changes. Forty-seven. Four-seven. That’s more than the number of scenes in the entire show! I realize (again) what a massive challenge this show will be.
29th, 30th, and 31st January: Performances
Finally, the performances. We somehow managed to get the show down to two hours and fifteen minutes—a feat I still don’t understand how we accomplished. There were a few hiccups with props going missing and one performance where a dementor didn’t fly, but I am so proud of what we achieved. We tackled the basilisk that was Harry Potter and came out victorious.
A huge thanks to Mr. Silverthorn and Mr. Wilson for building the stairs, doors, and time turner; the Art and DT department for making our wands and brooms; Mr. Webb and Mr. Ellis for the lighting, sound, set, and dementors; and, of course, Ms. Stokes and Ms. Knight, our amazing directors, for this wonderful production.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: A View from the Stage
By Eva McKay, Year 10
I remember finding out that the school play would be Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in assembly. I remember thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is going to be so much fun!” I got started on preparing my audition pieces immediately, learning two monologues by heart and trying to develop the characters as deeply as possible. The atmosphere was amazing—everyone was excited to try something new, and as someone who’s been doing plays here for as long as I could, it was joyful to see new faces throwing themselves into auditions.
About a week later, the cast list was posted. There was a general air of excitement as people found out what parts they’d been given. When I learned I’d be playing Albus, it felt surreal. I absolutely love acting and felt honoured to portray such an important and complex character.
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of Albus. He often said questionable things, and I had to build a personal connection to make him likeable. Rehearsals were fun, even though we were tired and working hard. Overcoming my fear of heights on those tall staircases was a challenge, but we all made it. I’ve deepened so many friendships because of this play—sharing experiences and laughter brought us closer.
Before we knew it, it was showtime. I remember thinking it would run for three hours, but somehow it all came together. I found so much happiness on stage, performing what we’d accomplished in five months of hard work. I’d love to be an actress one day, and I enjoyed every moment of this production—rushing offstage, missing props, and all.
I remember finishing the play on the last night and crying because it was over. It meant so much to me, and I’m so glad to have been a part of it.
