AusLeisure

The multi award-winning Australian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre is to end as of 9th July.

When the final curtain falls, it will hold the accolade of having been the longest-running play in Australian history - albeit interrupted by pandemic lockdowns - with more than 1,300 performances since its opening in February 2019.

The creation of J.K. Rowling, the production takes place 19 years after the conclusion of the Harry Potter book series, following Harry and his friends as they team up with a brand-new generation of wizards and witches.

The first Harry Potter story to be presented on stage, the Melbourne production has sold more than a million tickets and with the show being exclusive to the city has drawn patrons for across Australia and overseas.

With the Princess Theatre having undergone a $6 million renovation prior to the production, shows ground to a halt in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. However, the Australian production was the first one globally to re-open as of February 2021.

The original Cursed Child was more of an event than a stage show, coming to viewers in the form of a two-part performance with running time of more than five hours. As of early 2022 it was re-imagined as a one-part performance with a running time of just over 3 hours with an interval.

Commenting on the success of the show, Producer Sonia Friedman advised “we are extremely proud of our Melbourne production and to be the longest running play in the history of Australia is an extraordinary achievement.

“Opening our production here has been one of the highlights in the life of our groundbreaking, astonishing show and we look forward to an amazing final five months in this glorious city.”

Fellow Producer Colin Callender noted “Melbourne has such a rich culture of arts and theatre and we want to thank the Australian audiences for embracing our play.

“We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our cast, company and creative team for getting us to this milestone and coming on this incredible journey with us.”

Michael Cassel, Executive Producer of the Australian production, went on to say “all good things must come to an end, and after an incredible four years it is time for the most spectacular production Australia has ever seen to play to its final audiences.

“Melbourne has been an incredible home for Harry Potter and I can’t thank the people of Victoria for welcoming the cursed child with such incredible enthusiasm. I know they will ensure the show has a memorable farewell.”

In 2022, the show broke the record for most tickets sold of any stage play in Australia and in December 2022 the cast celebrated over 1,000 performances. An estimated 326,500 people saw the show in its first year, topping any previous record set by a stage play in the history of Australian theatre, with over half of these attendees made up of first-time theatregoers.

Worldwide, the production has sold over 6.5 million tickets and holds a record 60 major honours, with nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best New Play.

Productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are currently playing at the Palace Theatre, London, UK; Lyric Theatre, New York, USA; Mehr! Theater, Hamburg, Germany; CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto, Canada; and at the TBS Akasaka ACT Theatre, Tokyo, Japan.

More tickets will be released for the Melbourne production on 6th February 2023, making this the final opportunity for audiences to book to see the play in Australia.

The production will not tour to other cities, meaning when the curtain falls for the final time on 9th July it will leave Australia.

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