“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Wins a Record-Breaking NINE Olivier Awards

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child broke theater, excuse me, theatre records by winning nine Olivier Awards. The Olivier Awards are the British equivalent of the American Tony Awards, given for the best theatrical performances in London.

• Best New Play
• Best Actor (Jamie Parker as Harry Potter)
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger)
• Best Director (John Tiffany)
• Best Set Design (Christine Jones)
• Best Costume Design (Katrina Lindsay)
• Best Lighting Design (Neil Austin)
• Best Sound Design (Gareth Fry)

No play has ever won nine Oliviers before. The previous record was seven wins, a tie held by  Matilda the Musical and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a sequel to the seven-book series, had already broken Olivier records by having eleven nominations.  The play was nominated for but did not win Best Theatre Choreographer (Steven Hoggett) and Outstanding Achievement in Music (Imogen Heap).

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars Jamie Parker as Harry Potter, Sam Clemmett as his son Albus Potter, Alex Price as Draco Malfoy, and Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy. There was originally some controversy when Noma Dumezweni, who was born in Swaziland of South African parents, was cast as Hermione Granger. Perhaps winning Best Supporting Actress might quiet those critics. Ms. Dumezweni is known to Dr. Who fans for playing Captain Erisa Magambo of UNIT in the episodes “Turn Left” and “Planet of the Dead,” both with the Tenth Doctor.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes place after the epilogue of the seventh novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter is no longer a child-hero. He’s a middle-aged civil servant now, married with three children. The play focuses on the relationship between Harry and his younger son, Albus Severus Potter. As with Lois McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan series, Al Potter suffers from Great Man’s Son Syndrome. His father is the greatest wizarding hero of the century, and that’s a difficult legacy for a child to live up to. The play also examines the relationship between Al’s schoolmate Scorpius Malfoy and his father, Draco Malfoy.

John Tiffany directed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Jack Thorne wrote the script, based on a story co-written by Thorne, Tiffany, and J. K. Rowling herself. According to Entertainment Weekly, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is due to come to the United States in the spring of 2018.

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Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.