Harry Potter and the owl that escaped backstage!

THE first preview of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was reportedly in disarray last night after a live owl escaped in the theatre.

Fan Josh Grisetti wrote on Twitter: ‘1st preview blooper! No spoilers, but... An owl just got loose in the theatre. Intermission owl hunt backstage!’

A 1,500-strong audience queued to get into the West End show last night at London’s Palace Theatre.

Although fans were careful not to give away the plot, some did reveal on social media that live owls were used.

The play, written by Jack Thorne and authorised by JK Rowling, is set 19 years after the seventh and final book in the series. It smashed records by selling 175,000 tickets in 24 hours and is tipped to be the theatrical event of the year.

Miss Rowling warned audiences not to reveal the play’s ending to others who have yet to see it.

In a video posted on Twitter on

‘We’ve built in surprises’

Monday, the author said: ‘You’ve been amazing for years at keeping Harry Potter secrets so you didn’t spoil the books for readers who came after you.

‘So I’m asking you one more time to keep the secrets and let audiences enjoy Cursed Child with all the surprises that we’ve built into the story.’

The show was written in collaboration with Miss Rowling and director John Tiffany. It will tell the story of Harry (Jamie Parker) as an over-worked employee at the Ministry of Magic.

Noma Dumezweni will play an adult Hermione Granger. Miss Rowling lashed out at ‘a bunch of racists’ who criticised the casting of a black actress for the role. She told The Observer: ‘Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.’

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child officially opens on July 30.