PPAC’s ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ A Visual Spectacle

The result is a marvel of visual spectacle with an overly convoluted story which runs on too long for this revisit of Harry Potter, which became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1990s as author J.K. Rowling’s best-selling books captivated the hearts of young readers. The stories then became a series of blockbuster motion pictures. 

This story follows Harry’s son, Albus (Adam Grant Morrison), and his friend Scorpius Malfoy (David Fine) as they navigate through the halls of Hogwarts, the school for young wizards.

Harry and his son have a bumpy relationship. Albus resents living in the shadow of his famous father and Harry has a difficult time relating to Albus.

Scorpius becomes an outcast as well. It has long been rumored that he is the son of the evil Voldemort, Harry’s longtime nemesis.

In an attempt to spite his father, Albus steals a powerful device called the Time Turner from Harry and with Scorpius’ assistance, uses it to alter events of the past. 

As a result, the present day timeline is drastically changed, which causes all sorts of headaches for Albus and Scorpius.

Playwright Jack Thorne, working from an “original new story” by Rowling and John Tiffany, has essentially crafted a Harry Potter “greatest hits” collection.

Many of the most beloved characters from the Potterverse are on hand: Harry’s best friends, Ron Weasley (Matt Harrington), Hermione Granger (an effervescent Ebony Blake), as well as his blond-haired childhood enemy Draco Malfoy (Ryan Hallahan), and Hogwarts professors McGonagall and Umbridge (Katherine Leask).

Trish Lindstrom plays Harry’s wife, Ginny, and Josh Bates plays multiple roles, including Cedric Diggory, Harry’s classmate who died at the hands of Voldemort. Albus and Scorpius spend a lot of their time trying to undo Cedric’s death after winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Anyone who doesn’t have a mild familiarity with Harry Potter will be totally lost trying to follow this story. The original play was an unbelievable 5 and a half hours long, before being cut to 3 hours.

As a showcase for special effects, “Cursed Child” delivers in spectacular fashion. There are wands that shoot fire, levitating brooms, and a bookcase which has a mind of its own.

In one amazing sequence, Albus and Scorpius make their way across the roof of a moving train. 

I also loved the ghastly-looking phantoms which are suspended above the stage. When the Time Turner is used, which is quite often, the entire stage seems to shimmer and vibrate. The special effects team really outdid themselves with these illusions.

Christine Jones’ set designs, ranging from the gothic halls of Hogwarts to an English train station, are truly gorgeous. The lighting and sound design are impressive.

The orchestral accompaniment by Imogen Heap enhances the eerie surroundings perfectly.

However, the story of the “Cursed Child” doesn’t do anything special with Harry Potter. The gimmick of time travel is overused and events of past Potter adventures are rehashed endlessly. 

The main motivation of Albus and Scorpius – to resurrect Cedric Diggory – makes little sense. They never knew him at all, so their efforts seem a waste of time.

And just when it seems everything has been made right again, the boys have to use the Time Turner once more. 

There are individual scenes which work well. I enjoyed Larry Yando, doing double duty as Harry’s beloved mentor and father figure, Dumbledore. Yando also amusingly channels the late Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. Snape’s sardonic demeanor and the way he interacts with Harry and Ron is delightful.

Nick Dillenburg is charming and likeable as the adult Harry. There’s a sweet and funny scene with Harry and Albus at the train station. 

Overall, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will be a must-see for hardcore Harry Potter fans. For others, I recommend sticking with the books.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child runs through October 4. Providence Performing Arts Center. 220 Weybosset St., Providence, RI. Runtime is 3 hours with intermission. For tickets, visit ppacri.org.

Author: Joe Siegel

Joe Siegel is a regular contributing writer for WarwickPost.com. His reporting has appeared in The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro and EDGE.