Jody Revenson

Harry Potter Theatrical Productions

The official behind-the-scenes book of the record-breaking, award-winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one of the most celebrated stage productions of the past decade. Opening in London's West End in 2016, on Broadway in 2018, in Melbourne in 2019 -- and with more productions worldwide still to come (including San Francisco later this year) -- the play has smashed records, collected countless rave reviews and awards, and captivated audiences night after night. Now readers are invited behind the scenes to experience the show's journey to the stage -- from the earliest phases of development with producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, to the crafting of the eighth Harry Potter story with J.K. Rowling, director John Tiffany, and playwright Jack Thorne, to the gathering of an extraordinary team of artists and actors together to bring this new part of Harry Potter's story to life. With stunning photography, insightful interviews, and never-before-seen sketches, notes, candid backstage photos, and more, this full-color deluxe edition offers readers unparalleled access to this unique production, and is a beautiful gift for Harry Potter fans and theater lovers alike.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Journey: Behind the Scenes of the Award-Winning Stage Production

Jeni Enjaian

I absolutely love these books. Art fascinates me as does the process to create the final product presented to consumers, in this case the Harry Potter movies. The next three books that I review, including this one, all get the same rating and review. The individual books simply focus on a different aspect of the Harry Potter movies.

Erin 

Honestly, I considered not reviewing this. Like many others, I am really struggling with the recent statements and drama surrounding the author of our beloved series. However, she is not the only one who put time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into this Broadway show. She provided the idea; that's it. There are hundreds of other people involved, which just emphasizes how collaborative theatre is at its core. 

Anyway, as someone who kinda liked the Cursed Child at first, has since had her senses return to her, and now is afraid to revisit it, but still wants to see the show kind of out of spite, I don't think any of us realise how much work went into this show's development. Most shows that produce a behind the scenes book like this one also include the libretto - the script of the show, usually with footnotes and tidbits of information. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child already has that, which means this book is only the background information. And there is so much of it. How the show came to be developed. How they determined which characters from the series to include, and which ones would just be a box to tick. There are chapters on the individual costume development of each of the main characters. The lighting. The sound. The dancing??? Which I didn't even know was a thing because I've never seen the show. Little, itty bitty details that we as audience members won't notice, can't notice, but are noticeable by the cast onstage, and thus improve their performances and keep them immersed in the story. I'm just so, so impressed with this show, a show I didn't really want to exist in the first place. I'm still skeptical, and probably will remain so until I get to see it onstage. It always blows my mind reading about all the detail and planning and blocking of a show. Every movement, every turn, every breath is choreographed. If you see a character make a gesture, it was planned. If they put their hands in their pockets, it was in the script. E v e r y t h i n g has a purpose and a meaning and it's so well done, we as an audience don't even notice. Anyway, regardless of my feelings of disappointment in the actual story and how our beloved characters were handled, the art of theatre is still immensely impressive, and the world just has no idea how much is actually involved in mounting a show of this size and this notoriety. I'm here for the ushers and the graphic designers and the woodcarvers and the prop masters, and so many more people, because they are more the story than the author, and they deserve recognition too.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one of the most celebrated stage productions of the past decade. Opening in London's West End in 2016, on Broadway in 2018 and in Melbourne 2019 - and with more productions worldwide still to come - the play has smashed records, collected countless rave reviews and awards, and captivated audiences night after night. Now readers are invited behind the scenes to experience the show's journey to the stage - from the earliest stages of development with producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, to the crafting of the eighth Harry Potter story with J.K. Rowling, director John Tiffany and playwright Jack Thorne, and to the gathering of an extraordinary team of artists and actors together to bring this new part of Harry's story to life. With stunning photography, insightful interviews and never-before-seen sketches, notes, candid backstage photos and more, this full-colour eBook edition also consists of five videos - including two pieces of theatre makeover time-lapse footage - and offers readers unparalleled access to this unique production. It will be enjoyed by Harry Potter fans and theatre-lovers alike.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Journey: Behind the Scenes of the Award-Winning Stage Production

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