J.K. Rowling has revealed that the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be staged in two parts.
The new stage play by Jack Thorne is based on a new and original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, and will premiere in London’s West End in summer 2016 at the Palace Theatre.
Rowling revealed the news in a tweet, saying: “Due to the epic nature of the story we’ve been working on, Harry Potter & the #CursedChild will be in two parts!”
The tweet recieved a flurry of comments from excited Potter fans, one fan wrote: “omg I just saw the word EPIC and now I’m flailing!”
Another wrote: “Almost finished planning my trip 2 London next summer for HP at CC. SO EXCITED! *runs off to start planning 2nd trip to London*”
Some thought two parts weren’t enough, with one fan writing: “Seven parts would be better. Not that I’m begging or anything *shifty look*”
Not all fans were happy with the decision to split the play into two parts, however, one Twitter user wrote: “if you mean two separate plays I’m pretty sure it’s not the epic story but the epic money making that’s behind this decision”
Another wrote: ” So we have to buy two extortionately priced tickets in the west end to see the whole thing? 🙁 🙁 🙁 #CursedChild”
Bafta-winning writer Jack Thorne discussed the decision to split the play into two parts: “Obviously I loved it when we decided to tell the story in two parts,”
“Because I got to spend more time with the characters and what an honour that has been”
“It continues to be unbelievable and amazing that I’ve been given this extraordinary chance to bring Harry Potter to the stage. As a fan, who just devoured the books and the films, this couldn’t be more exciting for me.
Director John Tiffany, who has previously been the recipient of Tony and Olivier Awards, echoed Thorne’s sentiments: “It shares a scale and ambition with all the Harry Potter stories so in order to do this justice we have decided to present the play in two parts”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will tell the “untold part” of the boy wizard’s story, including the story of the lives of his murdered parents.
Rowling is also making her screenwriting debut on Potter spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, starring Eddie Redmayne, due in cinemas next November.
