Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J. K.  Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: 2016
Genre: Screenplay, Young Adult, Fantasy

Summary:
Alongside the premiere of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play in the West End, the screenplay has also been released  alongside it. The play takes place nineteen years after the last Harry Potter book and follows the adventures of the next generation of Hogwarts students including Harry's son, Albus Potter.

Review:
I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see a preview performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child before it's opening night. I therefore already knew the play and its' plot. However, I wanted to read the screenplay too as (obviously) I wanted to have the complete collection of Harry Potter books and to see what those fans who did not get tickets to see it, would read and how they would compare. There was a big difference.

Whilst the play is a spectacular piece of theatre (I cannot say much more, sorry!) and they truly committed to the Harry Potter experience, without the magic of the show; the plot alone in the screenplay was (I hate to say) a bit dry. I am not saying it was awful, it was good. It was engaging, funny and entertaining. The characters have developed significantly and rebuilt their lives in the aftermath of Voldermort. In a way, it was like catching up with old friends!

My reading of the screenplay was, however, tainted as as I read; I relived the play and the performance on stage. However, without the real life performance, it was somewhat slightly disappointing and flat. In all honesty, I made me want to fork out another £80 to go and see it again. This is, of course, impossible though as all the tickets have sold out. 

I feel that the screenplay is more suited to fans who did not get to see the play and maybe worth missing for those that have seen it. This will enable fans to create their own interpretation of the play and make choices for themselves about what it should look like. The screenplay does, however, give clues to the secrets of the play and will make fans wonder how they do stuff on stage. It might even make them a bit jealous.

Alternatively, it could be seen as another way to take advantage of Harry Potter fans and make them spend even more money on the franchise. Surely I cannot be the only one who feels have a play split into two plays over five hours is a bit excessive?

Rating: 8/10. A good substitute for the play.

You can buy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child from Amazon here.