Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Tour Edition Notes ⚡️
I got to see Cursed Child on tour in Boston! This is a slightly more edited down version of the one part show in NYC. Here are some more detailed notes!
Staging: So I was sitting really high up in the balcony but this allowed me to notice something - You could see at the front of the stage letters engraved on the floor: INLUSTRET LUMINE. I know that Inlustret Lumine was written on the stage of the Palace theatre, but I've never seen or noticed it at the New York theatre, so it was really cool that they included this detail in the touring production! For anyone who doesn't know, Inlustret Lumine is kind of like the unofficial slogan for the show, it means "let the light shine" which is just so fitting 🥹
Obviously a few changes had to be made to accommodate a touring production. Most noticeable was that there was no "lake." Instead they just used lighting to look like water, and Scorpius and Albus came from the back of the dark stage. I definitely missed how impactful it is when after Scorp comes back from the world of darkness, Albus pops up in the water next to him. But hey, I get they couldn't really bring their own water tank 😂
Also in the scene where they are swimming in the lake to charm Cedric, it looked like it was a video recording on a screen. I'm pretty sure in the main productions they actually have the actors on wires to look like they're swimming. I'm not positive on this, but I'm pretty sure.
When Snape casts his doe patronus, they also used a screen/projection which was just the doe's head, instead of the doe puppet. Definitely disappointed in this one since the puppet looks so cool!
Also understandably they couldn't cover the whole theatre with Delphi's message, so that was kept to the stage. It was still a cool effect but I'll never forget being so shook when it's revealed to be all around you!
Script and Scene Changes: Before going I re-read the original two-part script to refresh myself. They got rid of all the flashback/dream sequences which I get, but I really miss the character building scenes between Harry/Ginny, Harry/Albus, Draco/Scorpius and Hermione/Ron. I'm still pretty sad at how flat Ron's character is.
The World of Darkness scenes are noticeably shorter, including only the opening scene, Scorpius talking to Umbridge, and then Scorp going to find Snape. No Draco scene, Blood Ball, or Scorpion King. In the NYC version I saw in 2022, I made a note that they had actually changed "Scorpion King" to "Scorpion Prince" so there must have been SOME conversation with Polly that they totally cut out. (Still don't understand why they felt the need to change King to Prince 😂)
Another change for the one part version I don't understand: They remove the detail that when they turn time for the first time, Albus is sorted into Gryffindor not Slytherin. I get they were trying to cut time, but having that twist really wouldn't have taken up that much time! And I love how later it makes Harry and Albus realize, "our problems didn't start when I got sorted into Slytherin--It's deeper than that."
They also did not include Dumbledore being out his portrait in the forbidden forest. (Not sure if this was in the original production but I had called it out as being different when I saw it in 2022.)
Finally the biggest and most important change.... Albus and Scorpius at the end! The change from asking Rose out (which let's face it was always completely forced and out of left field) to instead asking her to be his friend is just sooooo heartwarmingly nice. I believe these are the lines:
Scorpius: "Pity is a start. A foundation on which to build a palace--a palace of harmony!"
Albus: "And, is that who you want to build your palace with? [Might have been "And, is that who you want in your palace?"]
And then they just STARE. AT. EACH OTHER. For a long time!! It almost looked like they're leaning into kiss before they get interrupted by Rose. Afterwards when Scorp leaves, Albus sits down on the staircase and looks really smitten/happy, like he's finally figured it out 🥹😭
When Albus and Harry talk, and he says "You know, right?" It sounds SO MUCH like a coming out. "You know right? That Scorpius is the most important person in my life. And he might aways be in the most important person in my life?"
Harry: "I think if Scorpius is going to be most important person in your life, that's a very good thing. I like Scorpius."
Oh, Harry. I really disliked the idea of making Harry a bad dad, but this redeemed it for me. Harry is finally able to see Albus for who he is. He isn't blinded by love anymore. Instead, he just accepts him, and that is a very very beautiful thing to see.
When I first saw this change in 2022, I still felt like it too open and not explicit enough. I still felt like it had an air of queer-baiting, but seeing it again I've actually changed my mind. I think it's pretty damn explicit, and they basically took it as far as they could. Would it be great to see them kiss or hold hands on stage? Yes, but at end this story is about Albus and Harry's relationship, and I understand they didn't want to over shadow that in the final scenes. But c'mon, Scorbus is canon, how amazing is that? 🥹
Actor Notes: Each Scorpius actor that've seen is very, very high energy. The original Scorpius, Anthony Boyle, definitely had the most grating voice, so I'm glad the other Scorps don't take his voice quite so far. My Scorp was actually a little effeminate which was super cute to see.
My Harry, Nick Dillenburg, had a think the deepest Harry voice I've heard! My Ginny was an understudy, Erica Sweany, and was actually the same Ginny I saw in 2022 and she was amazing! Draco was good, very very dry humor. The Sorting Hat actor is Caribbean mixed and he actually spoke the Sorting Hat with a slight Jamaican/Caribbean accent which was so fun!
Phewww, okay, I think that's all for now. If I think of other things I'll add them! Anyway long story short.... I still love this show so much 🖤















