‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ debuts shorter show (again), 40 minutes cut
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is debuting a new, shorter version on Broadway and on tour, with 40 minutes now removed from its runtime.
Shorter 2024 version of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’
Harry Potter Theatrical Productions has shortened the length of the American versions of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” The stage play began its U.S. national tour in Chicago, Ill. last month with a version 40 minutes shorter than the Broadway iteration, which itself will shorten come Nov. 12, 2024, as announced on Oct. 22.
It’s not the first time “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” has cut material. Here’s a timeline of the production’s runtime over the years (including intermission), according to the Hollywood Reporter.
- 2016 version in London, 2019 version in New York: 5 hours, 15 minutes
- 2021 version in New York: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- 2024 tour version and 2024 version in New York beginning Nov. 12: 2 hours, 50 minutes
The play originally began two-part show — not two acts, but two entirely separate nights of shows. In 2021, the Broadway version was changed to a singular presentation. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” takes place 19 years after the original “Harry Potter” stories, focusing on Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, the sons of Harry and Draco, respectively.
This under-three-hours version of “Cursed Child” was shortened by the play’s original director/writer John Tiffany, original writer Jack Thorne, “and the entire original creative team,” according to a statement from producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender. J.K. Rowling was not mentioned by name, though the “Harry Potter” author did develop the original story for its 2016 debut.
It’s unclear which particular scenes or characters the team changed for this newer, shorter version.
‘A little frenetic’ but ‘more accessible’
Writing for the Chicago Tribune after seeing the 2024 tour at its debut stop, reviewer Chris Jones said, “The even shorter tour version is a little frenetic in places but then again (as Tiffany has said), the tour makes the show more accessible to more people. Incontrovertibly true. Incontrovertibly a good thing.”
In our review of the 2023 version of the Broadway show, we said, “‘Cursed Child” leverages its characters’ magical abilities superbly. A few simple, common stage tricks would’ve checked all the boxes and likely still elicited an awestruck response from the audience. Instead, the charms, spells, and otherwise wizardly quirks of Harry’s wondrous world are integrated into the story with such a level of intentionality and impressiveness that they are the show’s strongest quality. The production is nothing short of a tour de force of practical theater effects, each defying comprehension more than the last.”
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ tour dates
U.S. tour dates for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” are:
- Chicago, Ill. | now through Feb. 1, 2025
- Los Angeles, Calif. | Feb. 15 – June 22, 2025
- Washington, D.C. | beginning July 8, 2025
The show also continues to perform in the Lyric Theatre in New York City, as well as in London, Hamburg, and Tokyo.
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