Wingardium Leviosa!

The only word I can describe seeing this is FINALLY!! 

On Saturday, my two best friends and I went down to London for the weekend to see an epic - one that we had to book for so far in advance for, it was almost as long a wait as Hamilton - the only thing I could be talking about is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the epic 2-part play written by Jack Thorne and JK Rowling herself. 

Since opening in 2016, it has spread across the world, from Broadway to Australia - winning 9 Oliviers and 6 Tonys in the process. In fact, the 2017 Oliviers were dubbed as "The Harry Potter Awards". 

It is playing at London's Palace Theatre, which is possibly the grandest theatre in the West End! It seems the perfect place for the play to be in, not just because of the grandeur, but also with all the history it has seen. Fred Astaire, Laurence Oliver, Judi Dench as Sally Bowles in Caberet have all played its marble halls, as well as the original (and long-running) runs of The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables (before its transfer to the Queens, soon to become the Sondheim). 

Oddly enough, I already knew what happens in the story, as my Dad bought the script (even then available in every Waterstones) years ago - and I read. 

The eighth story in the Harry Potter universe, it picks up 19 years after the end of the Deathly Hallows - Harry's son Albus is on his way to Hogwarts, where he meets his future best friend: Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco. Along the course of the show, it explores the friendship between Albus and Scorpius, but also Harry's role as a Father (in the words of Into The Woods "But how can I go about being a Father, when I had no Father to show me")

No worry though, no spoilers here #keepthesecrets

With that in mind, I almost daren't not do what I usually do and go into the cast - well, they were mostly on fire anyway... 

Having said that, I do have to mention 1 person, and that is Jonathan Case as Scorpius. Just like me and my friends, you will fall in love with him instantly - very different to how I imagined Scorpius would be from reading the script, but Case plays him just as brilliantly in a completely different way. 

Utterly adorable, you will instantly want to give him a a big hug and tell him everything's ok.

The other thing I MUST tell you about is the effects, from lighting to cloak-swishing. How they did half of those affects, I have no idea, as appear, disappear and even transform into other characters! They truly are magical!

Of course you should try and get tickets to see this - that is a big fat no-brainer. I do realise that try is the key word here, but it is SO worth it! 

A freebie given at the end of Part 1

Whether you were a casual fan as the books and films were coming out, or a die-hard Potter-worshipper, or anything in between, there is something to satisfy everyone's level of nerdiness on the scale.

The Cursed Child is wonderous, magical, heartfelt, funny, and at times pretty scary too - as every Potter story should be. 

The final words, I think, should go to Ronald Weasley and his most famous phrase:

"Bloody Hell!!"