‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Transitioning to Shorter Format in London After a Decade of Two-Part Staging

After a decade of performances as a two-part theatrical event, the London West End production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will transition to a streamlined one-part format this fall.

The reimagined version will open on Oct. 6 at the Palace Theatre, following final performances of the original two-part staging on Sept. 20. The shift will bring the London production in line with companies performing worldwide, including on Broadway, where the condensed format premiered in 2021 and has been setting box office records.

Running two hours and 55 minutes with one interval, the one-part production delivers the complete story in a single performance, allowing audiences to experience the story with one ticket and one visit to the theater.

Set 19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, the play follows them on a new adventure alongside a brave new generation arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The story features a race through time and an epic battle against mysterious forces.

The production features direction by John Tiffany from a play by Jack Thorne, based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and Tiffany. The creative team includes movement by Steven Hoggett, sets by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry and illusions by Jamie Harrison.

“We felt this milestone moment was the right time to make the production more accessible than ever before,” said producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender in a joint statement. “Now running at under three hours, the reimagined production retains its scale, illusions and theatrical magic and emotional depth, while allowing more audiences to experience the story in a single visit.”

The producers noted that the reimagined version was “beautifully reworked by the same extraordinary creative and technical teams” responsible for the original staging.

Since its July 2016 premiere, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” has accumulated more than 8,000 hours of performance time in London and attracted 2.2 million patrons, including over 300,000 first-time theatergoers. The production collected nine Laurence Olivier Awards and has amassed 60 major honors globally.

Theater owner Nica Burns said: “This new chapter gives audiences the chance to experience this magical, roller coaster story in just one thrilling performance.”

Final tickets for the two-part production are now on sale at harrypottertheplay.com, where audiences can register for notifications about the reimagined production’s ticket release.