Opened: April 22, 2018

Book by: Jack Thorne

Music by: Imogen Heap

Broadway Replacement Cast: Brian Thomas Abraham, James Brown III, Nadia Brown, Will Carlyon, Lauren Nicole Cipoletti, Diane Davis, Patrick Du Laney, Sara Farb, Jonathan Gordon, Steve Haggard, Edward James Hyland, Chris Jarman, Jenny Jules, Eva Kaminsky, Joey Labrasca, Matt Mueller, Sarita Amani Nash, Nicholas Podany, Fiona Reid, Kevin Matthew Reyes, Jonno Roberts, Stephen Spinella, Paul Thornley, Bubba Weiler, Karen Janes Woditsch, Jack Pravda, Makayla Joy Connolly, Aarant Bartz, Stephen Bradbury, Kimberly Dodson, Jack Koenig, Rachel Lesloe, Katherine Reis, Antoinette Robinson, James Romney, Tom Patrick Stephens, Erica Sweany & Alex Weisman

In its first part, The Cursed Child reintroduces audiences to some of the best characters in the Harry Potter universe, but also creates great new protagonists.

Minister for Magic Hermione Granger (Jenny Jules) and Harry Potter (Steve Haggard) discover a Time Turner after all have thought to have been destroyed. Attending their first year of Hogwarts, Albus Potter (Nicholas Podany) and Scorpius Malfoy (Bubba Weiler) obtain the Time Turner to change the past.

Ginny Weasley (Diane Davis) gets an upgrade here from the film series as a much stronger character, while Weiler is delightfully entertaining as Scorpius.

The magic is almost unbelievable. You’ll be gasping as the unthinkable happens onstage, like characters disappearing into the Ministry telephone box. However, the story moves so fast and seems to be just a set-up for the second half.

Final say: A thrilling reinvention. ★★★★☆