The reason to see this rather than read the script is that the magic is performed live: staircases that dance, wands that throw real fire, and a Polyjuice transformation two metres from the front row. Jamie Harrison's illusions won the production a shelf of design awards on both sides of the Atlantic. If you have a teenager who grew up on the books, this is the one show that will genuinely astonish them.
What to expect
A long play staged with constant physical invention: Steven Hoggett's movement work turning cloaked ensembles into scenery, sudden appearances and disappearances, and set pieces built on stage illusions rather than projections. Expect an intermission and a substantial run time.
Good to know
- The Lyric is on West 43rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, a block from Times Square.
- The A, C and E to 42nd Street or any Times Square line works.
- It runs about three and a half hours with an interval, so eat beforehand.
- The production asks audiences to keep the secrets, so avoid reading spoilers first.
- Recommended for ages ten and up; there are frightening sequences and loud effects.
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Common questions
Is this one play or two?
The Broadway production plays as a single part running roughly three and a half hours including an interval, condensed from the original two-part West End version.
Do I need to have read the books?
Yes, more or less. The play assumes you know the seven novels, particularly the events of the final one, and starts from the epilogue of Deathly Hallows.
Are the effects real or projected?
They are performed live using stage illusions designed by Jamie Harrison, which is why the production is emphatic about audiences not spoiling how they work.
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