Perse Players set for magical production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Cast and crew are ready to weave their magic on the long-awaited Perse Players production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Secondary School Edition.
The Perse is one of the first schools globally to stage the show, which centres on Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, the sons of Harry Potter and arch-rival Draco Malfoy, as they become best friends after joining Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sparking an epic journey with the power to change the past and future forever.
A talented team of 37 actors, supported by the skills of the student-led Perse Production Company (PPC) off stage, will perform six shows in the Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre across two weekends – Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November, and Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November.
Perse Director of Theatre David Barrett, who is directing the production, felt there had been a huge buzz around the project since being announced several months ago.
He said: “We are one of the first schools in the world to perform this show, so that’s very exciting in itself. It’s also why everyone involved is so invested in it and wants to do it well. It’s not often you get this sort of opportunity and we want to get it right.
“We feel doing the show over two weekends relieves some of the pressure on the students rather than trying to do six shows straight in one week, but we wanted to do more shows than usual because we knew it would be popular.
“At the moment, there’s a mix of excitement and trepidation. Some of the students have had huge amounts of lines to learn, which is a massive undertaking, but they are doing a great job with it. There’s definitely something special brewing.”
Mr Barrett was also thrilled with the efforts of the PPC, encompassing everything from set painting to sound and lighting, in helping the production come to fruition.
He said: “It’s not just about the people on stage doing it, we are trying to teach the students that theatre is a massive team effort.
“It’s a huge collaborative thing with so many people involved in so many ways, even if they don’t want to be on stage.
“We even did a whole school competition to design the emblems for the four Hogwarts house banners that are going to be in the show.”
Fifty members of the PPC and cast took a brief break from their preparations for the production with an inspiring trip to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
Mr Barrett said: “We had a workshop at the start of the day with some of the filmmakers, which was really exciting. They talked through the process of going from script to putting everything on film and the pupils seemed to get a lot out of that.
“We then went on the tour, which has all the sets as this is the place where they filmed the Harry Potter series. It takes you through the process of so many things such as the prosthetics, the set building and the design, so it’s a fascinating facility, particularly for young people interested in film and theatre.
“The PPC were particularly engrossed in it. They were talking about how they did this or that and what they might be able to bring to future shows.
“For students who are so interested in theatre, a trip like this is like going into a toy shop and I know they got a lot of joy out of it.”
The Perse Players production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Secondary School Edition takes place on
• Friday 22 November – 6.30pm
• Saturday 23 November – 2pm and 6.30pm
• Friday 29 November – 6.30pm
• Saturday 30 November – 2pm and 6.30pm
To book tickets, please click here.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Secondary School Edition)
Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
A play by Jack Thorne
Adapted for Secondary Schools by Broadway Licensing Global