Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 10th anniversary behind-the-scenes look
The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child marks its 10th anniversary with a behind-the-scenes look at the production.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, one of the country's most popular theatre productions, is marking its 10th anniversary with a behind-the-scenes look at the show. Over the past decade, 276 actors have performed for more than two and a half million audience members at the Palace Theatre in London's West End.
The production is known for its elaborate illusions, which must work from every angle in the theatre. The show uses 42 wands and more than 650 costumes for each performance. A huge backstage team keeps the magic alive night after night.
Cast members spoke about the challenge of making iconic characters their own. One actor said: "You can't help but absorb all of that because from the books within the books, there's so much you take from it, the charm, the heart of it." Another added: "To be able to give my version of Harry on stage here in London, it feels really special and it's a real honour."
The two-part show will become a single-part production from October, a decade after its premiere. The anniversary has been marked as a significant milestone for theatre, with one team member calling it "an extraordinary landmark" and noting the show's role in keeping theatre viable.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| A total of 276 actors have performed in the show over 10 years. | |
| Each performance uses 42 wands and over 650 costumes. | |
| The show will be condensed from two parts to one part in October. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the behind-the-scenes magic and the human stories of cast and crew. It included a hands-on demonstration of a spell (Lumos) and highlighted the scale of the production with specific numbers. The tone was celebratory and informative, with a light-hearted segment showing the reporter trying magic.
- “We're in the Palace Theatre and we have to make those illusions work with people looking at us from every single angle, so it was a huge challenge, but one that we gratefully, gratefully accepted and then had such enjoyment making.”
- “It's sort of an extraordinary landmark, I think, for any theatre show. I think a show like this, which is leading the way in terms of making theatre viable, it feels great to be part of something that's keeping it alive like that.”
- “To be able to give my version of Harry on stage here in London, it feels really special and it's a real honour.”
Broadcast Timeline
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