‘Cursed Child’: A Changing of the Guard at the Palace Theatre

May 22, 2017

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, News

In the words of the famed Roman philosopher, statesman, and dramatist Seneca, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

So we must bid a fond farewell to the original cast of the ground-breaking and award winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Such good-byes are bittersweet, having reveled in the wizardry of their stellar talent since July 2016. But this end of an era ushers in a new cast set on keeping the magic alive, and we honor this changing of the guard with the reflections of those who lived–and will live–it out for us on stage.

As the Cursed Child stars entered the last week of performances, the reality began to sink in, and Sam Clemmett, who played Albus Severus Potter, son of the iconic Harry Potter, was one of the first to take his thoughts to twitter.

 Final week…. wowsa. Here goes! @HPPlayLDN

Followed by others…

And then, as they prepared to perform Part One for the last time Saturday, the floodgates opened. The cast and crew seemed to feel as Dumbledore did, treating social media as a Pensieve with which to record their memories:

“I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind…. At these times… I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure.”

Noma Dumezweni, who gave an Olivier-winning portrayal of Hermione Granger, shared her poignant thoughts May 20th:

Which prompted an exchange with playwright Jack Thorne:

Sam Clemmett added:

Associate director Des Kennedy shared a photo of the cast and crew marking the occasion as producer Sonia Friedman gave a speech flanked by director John Tiffany and J.K. Rowling herself.

Sunday saw them preparing for Part Two and the last show of the run.

 Final show day. Bloody hell. It’s been an incredible year, thanks so much to everyone who came to see us! #cursedchild @HPPlayLDN 

Cherelle Skeete, who played Rose Granger-Weasley, shared:

Unfortunately, Anthony Boyle, who also gave an Olivier-winning performance as Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco, was unable to take the stage.

Illness did not stop him from offering his own farewells, however.

 Then, after the curtain fell on the cast for the last time, Des Kennedy tweeted a photo of the empty theater.

Rowling’s agent, Neil Blair, also joined the celebration.

Where they enjoyed an absolutely amazing cake!

To which Jack Thorne replied:

Poppy Miller, who played Ginny Weasley, reflected:

Paul Thornley, who portrayed our beloved Ron, shared:

And Rowling replied:

And, after a day to further process his thoughts, Sam Clemmett tweeted this morning:

James Howard, who returns with the incoming cast, said good-bye to friends but not to the Cursed Child story:

When the new cast takes the stage for the first time May 24th, Howard will fill the shoes of Draco Malfoy.

As seen in the cast photo, Scorpius Malfoy will now be played by Samuel Blenkin.

Jamie Glover takes over as Harry Potter, Emma Merrells as Ginny Weasley, and Theo Ancient as Albus, who’s ecstatic about this magical opportunity .

Broadway World shared a photo of the new Granger-Weasley family, in which Thomas Aldridge plays Ron and Raki Ayola plays Hermione.

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Helen Aluko, who now plays Rose, was the understudy during the previous run.

And view the Harry Potter Play exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the character photo shoot!

So join us in giving a warm farewell to the old guard, and let’s welcome in this round of “first years,” wishing them all the best as they continue to bring the magic of the wizarding world to life!  





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.