Spoiler free: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Earlier this month, 18 months after the day I purchased the tickets, the time finally came for us to take our seats at the Palace Theatre, London, to experience five hours of theatre set in the wizarding world.
It's been a long wait.
One of the things I think has been truly wonderful about this play is that people really have been sticking to the 'rules', following that principle of '#keepthesecrets'.
Even since the release of the script in book form, I've heard no spoilers whatsoever, and was able to head into the theatre having no idea what to expect.
For that reason, this will be nothing like my normal theatre reviews, and will instead focus on my feelings about the day and the experience.
Like many people around my age, I grew up with Harry Potter. I read every book eagerly on release, have reread the whole series multiple times and have seen all of the films more than once.
I've visited the Warner Brothers' Studio Tour, and marvelled at J K Rowling's creativity and storytelling for years.
I'm also a huge fan of theatre, so the news that the world of Harry Potter was to grow a step further and the new story would take a different format was exciting.
One of the best things about being there on the day was that shared sense of anticipation. We had all waited for so long to see the show, and there was a real sense of companionship among those in the auditorium.
Everyone there was completely invested in the story and its characters and everyone spent the intervals and time between the two parts excitedly discussing what they had seen.
Visually, the show is fantastic. The special effects, lighting, choreography and direction deserve all the attention they have been getting, and there are still moments where we're wondering how on earth certain effects were achieved.
The cast, too, is a highly skilled one, and let me just say that Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) was the absolute stand-out star, in my eyes.
Was it perfect? For me, no. I do have some pretty big issues with elements of the plot, and the way a couple of the characters were portrayed, but I'll save those to talk about with those who've already experienced the show.
What was truly brilliant, though, was the whole package. The excitement, the anticipation, the special effects, and the whole 'Harry Potter day out' that comes from watching two full length plays on a single Sunday.
We had the most brilliant day, around which we built a brilliant long weekend, and I'll hold it in my memory for a very long time.
#keepthesecrets
It's been a long wait.
One of the things I think has been truly wonderful about this play is that people really have been sticking to the 'rules', following that principle of '#keepthesecrets'.
Even since the release of the script in book form, I've heard no spoilers whatsoever, and was able to head into the theatre having no idea what to expect.
For that reason, this will be nothing like my normal theatre reviews, and will instead focus on my feelings about the day and the experience.
Like many people around my age, I grew up with Harry Potter. I read every book eagerly on release, have reread the whole series multiple times and have seen all of the films more than once.
I've visited the Warner Brothers' Studio Tour, and marvelled at J K Rowling's creativity and storytelling for years.
I'm also a huge fan of theatre, so the news that the world of Harry Potter was to grow a step further and the new story would take a different format was exciting.
One of the best things about being there on the day was that shared sense of anticipation. We had all waited for so long to see the show, and there was a real sense of companionship among those in the auditorium.
Everyone there was completely invested in the story and its characters and everyone spent the intervals and time between the two parts excitedly discussing what they had seen.
Visually, the show is fantastic. The special effects, lighting, choreography and direction deserve all the attention they have been getting, and there are still moments where we're wondering how on earth certain effects were achieved.
The cast, too, is a highly skilled one, and let me just say that Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) was the absolute stand-out star, in my eyes.
Was it perfect? For me, no. I do have some pretty big issues with elements of the plot, and the way a couple of the characters were portrayed, but I'll save those to talk about with those who've already experienced the show.
What was truly brilliant, though, was the whole package. The excitement, the anticipation, the special effects, and the whole 'Harry Potter day out' that comes from watching two full length plays on a single Sunday.
We had the most brilliant day, around which we built a brilliant long weekend, and I'll hold it in my memory for a very long time.
#keepthesecrets
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