With all the hype around the (no longer quite) new Harry Potter plays, I had assumed they’d be sold out until autumn at least.  Not so!  When I got online my first week here I discovered that when you’re buying only one ticket and are willing to pay for the good seats, it’s actually pretty easy to get in.

I attended a double-header showing last weekend.  With the two plays running close to 3 hours each, the experience was similar to a Wagner opera in terms of the stamina it required.  Which I think is a reflection of J.K. Rowling’s being a novelist and not a playwright.  A six-hour production is what happens when a woman who normally writes 700-page novels sits down to write a play.

That said, it was still a pretty good play.  The stagecraft was lovely and magical and clearly cost a fortune (this is not a show that will be easily reproduced by your local high school), and the acting was strong.  While a finer playwright could have achieved the same emotional punch in a more compact work, the length allowed for all the adventure that makes the Harry Potter world so fun.

The Palace Theatre is a gorgeous old theatre painted all dark and moody on the inside.  It felt appropriately atmospheric for the subject matter.

The British don’t believe in free programs — this sucker cost another 5 pounds.

Intermission at Five Guys!  I know, not very British, but it was nice to eat something so familiar and homey.

The program was the same for Part Two, so here’s the ticket stub to prove I saw two shows…