Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at a glance

Show
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (one-part production)
Venue
Palace Theatre, West End
Address
113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5AY
Nearest station
Leicester Square
Genre
Play (fantasy)
Running time
About 2 hours 55 minutes, including an interval
Age guidance
8+; no under-5s; under-15s with an adult
Dates
From 9 October 2026; currently booking to 5 September 2027
Schedule
Tuesday to Sunday, with evening and matinee performances
Price range
From £27 (typically £27–£190)
Writer
Jack Thorne, from an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Director
John Tiffany

Expert Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre

4.7
★★★★★

LTH Expert Rating

Reviewed by the London Theatre Hub editorial team. Last updated: 26 October 2026.

The Verdict

For ten years, seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child meant committing to two shows and more than five hours in the Palace Theatre. That ended on 20 September 2026. From 9 October the play returns as a single performance of about 2 hours 55 minutes, the same format Broadway adopted in 2021 and most international productions have since followed. It is the biggest change to the London production since it opened in 2016, and it makes the show far easier to fit into a trip to London.

The spectacle that made its name stays: Christine Jones's design, Steven Hoggett's movement, Imogen Heap's music and illusions that still draw gasps from adults as well as children. What changes is the pace. Dialogue is tightened, some scenes and flashbacks are cut, and the story leans harder into the friendship between Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, which was always its heart. Our 4.7 rating reflects the production's long record in London; the one-part version has not yet been reviewed, and we will update this page once it has settled in.

What Makes It Special

  • The whole story in one sitting. One ticket, one performance, about 2 hours 55 minutes including the interval.
  • Record-breaking stagecraft. The production won nine Olivier Awards in 2017, a record at the time, and six Tony Awards on Broadway, including Best Play.
  • Continuity and new faces. David Ricardo-Pearce, Thomas Aldridge and Naana Agyei Ampadu continue as Harry, Ron and Hermione, with Ethan Rouse and Bill Stanley new as Albus and Scorpius.
  • A London institution. More than 2.5 million people saw the two-part version at the Palace Theatre in its first ten years.
  • A story nineteen years on. It picks up where the final book's epilogue left off, with Harry as an overworked Ministry employee and a father struggling to reach his son.

You'll love Cursed Child if you...

  • Grew up with the books or films and want the next chapter live
  • Love big theatrical illusions and stagecraft
  • Put off the two-part version because of the time commitment
  • Are looking for a special occasion show for older children
  • Enjoy stories about fathers, sons and friendship

It might not be for you if you...

  • Have no connection to the Harry Potter world at all
  • Prefer intimate, dialogue-driven drama over spectacle
  • Are bringing children under 8
  • Loved the two-part version and want every scene kept
  • Want reviews of the new format before booking — they follow after opening

Best for

  • Harry Potter fans
  • Families with 8+ children
  • Special occasions
  • Stagecraft lovers
  • First West End trip
  • Visitors to London

Not recommended for children under 8 or audiences with no interest in the Wizarding World.

Critical Reception

The original London production opened at the Palace Theatre in July 2016 to widespread acclaim and went on to set records at the Olivier Awards. The reimagined one-part version starts performances on 9 October 2026 and has not yet been reviewed. We will add verified critic ratings for the new format once they are published.

  • Olivier Awards 2017 9 wins, including Best New Play
  • Tony Awards 2018 6 wins, including Best Play
  • One-part version Reviews to follow

Source: Olivier and Tony Award records; official production announcements, September 2026.

Everything You Need to Know

What happens in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

The play begins nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, on the platform at King's Cross where the final book's epilogue ends. Harry Potter is now an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and a father of three. His younger son, Albus, is about to start at Hogwarts, carrying the weight of a family name he never asked for.

An unlikely friendship

On the Hogwarts Express, Albus befriends Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry's old rival Draco. At school, Albus doesn't fit the mould the world expects of a Potter, and his relationship with his father grows more strained with every year.

A dangerous idea

When Albus learns of a Time-Turner, he and Scorpius set out to change the past and right what they see as a wrong from Harry's own history. Their plan has consequences neither of them can foresee.

Fathers and sons

As past and present collide, Harry has to confront his own history to reach his son. Beneath the magic, it is a story about parents and children, about friendship, and about the weight of the past. The production asks audiences to keep its secrets, and so do we.