HARRY POTTER
the magic continues in melbourne theatre production
HARRY POTTER needs no introduction. The massively popular series of seven books by British writer JK Rowling which features the heroic wizard has collectively sold over half a billion copies worldwide in 80 languages since the first tome was published back in 1997.
The stories that chronicle his wondrous adventures in a magical world have also been turned into a successful string of movies that have become one of the highest grossing franchises to date.
It was an interesting development then that the further adventures of the plucky boy who later grew up to become a powerful wizard would see the light of day on a different creative platform: The stage. Titled Harry Potter And The Cursed
Child (HPATCC), the theatrical version of the enduring set of characters and their magical world came to life anew onstage on West End in 2016. Last year, the production made its way to Broadway. The multiple award winning play is now having a long run in Australia to cater to fans from around the region.
NEW VISION
When met recently in the grand and cosy confines of the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, where HPATCC is being staged, its director John Tiffany was naturally enthusiastic about the whole affair.
“It’s about providing an experience that matches the love and devotion the fans have for the various characters and stories,” says the Tony and Olivier awardwinning English theatre director.
Bringing the play to a whole new audience in this side of the world notwithstanding, it’s also about getting people excited about the theatre as well.
Tiffany, who has been with the production from its first inception back in West End says that quite a huge percentage of audience members that caught HPATCC were people who had watched a play for the first time.
“They are mesmerised. You can do that? Theatre can be fun? It’s enjoyable? Who knew?” says the boisterous director with a laugh.
FAMILY MAN
Based on an original new story by Tiffany, Jack Thorne and Rowling herself, HPATCC is considered the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.
Tiffany says that it was theatre producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender who had broached the idea of a stage play to Rowling.
They didn’t want to produce a musical or an adaptation of the films or books but suggested that a play would be a great way to explore what had happened to the “boy who lived under the stairs.”
“Then six years ago Jack and I had a momentous meeting with Jo (Rawling) who had already ideas about Harry and his world after leaving Hogwarts. He was an adult and a father. And she became intrigued by how theatre could bring her story to life in a different way.”
The new story sees Harry Potter dealing with life now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted.
As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth, that sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
FATE HAPPENS
Tiffany relates a story of how fate played a role in him working on and directing
HPATCC. It was over 20 years ago when he was working as an assistant director at the Traverse theatre in Edinburgh.
“I noticed this single mother who would come in to a cafe there with her pram and would frequently spend lots of time writing in her notebook.”
“I was there meeting actors and writers a lot and I remember seeing her. We got to saying hello and I recall her saying, ‘Do you mind if I’m here because I hadn’t bought a lot of coffee’.”
“Eighteen months later I saw her name in the papers and her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was a big success. Apparently, it had been initially rejected by 17 publishers. So I kept an eye on her work over the years and as you know, it’s been a great pleasure to now be a part of this whole fantastical and beloved world that she’s created,” he says.
POWER OF PLAY
During the course of the chat, Tiffany’s sentences are punctuated with the word epic. “We went back to the origins of Harry Potter and slightly change that in this epic play. I realised I was not going to get there in a usual sort of play.”
“And I also did not want to make it boring for kids at all. So we went real big and made it as epic as possible and very Shakespearean,” he says.
Adding that it was a massive endeavour for everyone involved, Tiffany says: “You have to believe that theatre can do anything. There are no limits to people’s imagination and we certainly needed to stimulate their imagination as well.”
The size and breadth of the story were indeed truly epic that the Harry Potter play would be presented in two parts. “Depending on how you want to go about watching
it, theatregoers have the choice of seeing it in order on the same day, with matinee and evening shows, or on two consecutive evenings,” he says.
The whole play contains lots of visual and aural elements as well as creative tricks that are magically choreographed together with the cast to present a Harry Potter story that fans will instantly recognise and feel at home with after experiencing the books or movies.
There’s fire, water, flying, inhuman creatures, magic spells and more all done live onstage in a thrilling manner. Tiffany says that it’s all part of the magic of theatre craft. “People are going to go ‘how do they do that?’ and that would be one of the best compliments for us.”
He adds that the intention was to be creative and playful as well as to be fun and accessible to the children. “Like the train sequence in the play. It’s quite complicated but simple at the same time. Kind of like a version of rough magic. So we decided to just make a train out of suitcases. I wanted to build something that children could recreate at home,” he says.
Tiffany adds that they did not use CGI or just straight up projections to indicate locations. “We didn’t want to take the easy route out and we ended up with more physical creations with more emotional impact too, like the staircase ballet scene.”
The whole show is an ongoing process of constantly trying to create the best experience. “From London and New York to where we are now here in Melbourne we’ve streamlined and tightened the show. Edits and rewrites still happen till today with the aim of giving the audience the best possible show every time. It’s such a massive story with big sequences,” he says.
The current run in Melbourne, which features a new cast of actors from Australia and New Zealand, follows the tradition of the West End and Broadway stagings that encourage people who’ve seen HPATCC to not spill the beans on the story, since there are several twists and turns along the way.
There’s even a hashtag, #KeepTheSecrets, that aims to keep lips sealed to safeguard from spoilers being revealed. Metal button badges are also given out for free after the shows that drive the point home.
“It’s about giving everyone an experience that’s fresh and unexpected,” says Tiffany about the whole affair that’s surprisingly worked well so far.
When asked if anyone could truly keep the secret, he says: “Well, I think the fans are very protective of the work and they have a deep love for the characters and stories, so they would take it as their responsibility to make sure that people who watch the shows for the very first time have that genuine sense of discovery and awe.”
“Everybody should have the joy of discovering the magic of Harry Potter for themselves,” he says with a smile.
One thing’s for sure, HPATCC is a definite must watch for every single Harry Potter fan. Those who want to see great theatre craft will also appreciate this epic five hour-plus marathon of a stage spectacle.