Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The Canadian Premiere production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began performances May 31, 2022, and officially opened to critical acclaim on June 19, 2022 at the newly remodelled CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. It received eight nominations for the 2021/22 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, winning Outstanding Production, and Outstanding Lighting Design (Neil Austin).

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music & arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe, casting by Dayton Walters Casting, CSA, CDC, with additional consultation by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Alexandre Bleau, CSA.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced in Toronto by originating producers Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions with Canadian producer David Mirvish.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child had its world premiere on June 7, 2016 at London’s Palace Theatre, where it continues to play to capacity audiences. The New York production began on March 16, 2018 at the newly renovated Lyric Theatre, where it is now in its fifth year. The Melbourne, Australia production began January 18, 2019 at the Princess Theatre where it is now in its fourth year. The San Francisco production began on October 23, 2019 and continues to play at the Curran Theatre. The German production began February 7, 2020 and continues at Hamburg’s Mehr! The Toronto production which began May 31, 2022 is the play’s sixth international production, with the Japanese production following on June 16, 2022 at Tokyo’s TBS Akasaka SCT Theatre.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in J.K. Rowling’s epic saga and the first Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It has sold over 4.5 million tickets worldwide and holds 60 major honours, with a record nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best New Play.

Global Competencies:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Creativity
• Learning to Learn/Self-Awareness

Ontario Curriculum Connections

All Grades:

• Language/English (Listening to Understand, Speaking to Communicate, Reading for Meaning & Critical Literacy)
• Drama
• Health and PE (Positive Social Interaction & Conflict Management)

Grades 1-6

• Social Studies: Heritage & Identity and People & Environments

Grades 9-12

• The Arts
• Canadian and World Studies
• Health and Physical Education

Grades 11-12

• Social Sciences and Humanities

• Friendship
• Family and Identity
• Truth and rumour
• Time
• Life, death, grief and loss
• Intergenerational relationships (eg. fathers and sons, older vs. younger)
• The influence of nature vs. nurture
• Overcoming adversity through the help of community
• Family legacy and family reputation
• Memory and the past
• Courage and honour
• Betrayal, lies and manipulation
• Growing up/coming of age
• Loyalty
• Good and evil
• Honour and revenge
• Power and politics within family
• Private lives and public lives
• The supernatural
• Freedom of a blessing and the burden of a curse

Guiding Questions

• What do you already know about the production? What are you looking forward to?
• How do you think the magical world will be created? What techniques and skills might be employed?
• What characters and settings from the Harry Potter stories do you expect or hope to see?
• Having looked at the marketing and social media resources, what do you expect from the production?

Elements in the Show to Look and Listen for

• The CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre underwent a $5 million renovation that extends the world of the show into the front of house spaces. What do you notice throughout the building that connects to the world of Harry Potter?
• What other roles do you notice at work inside the theatre? Aside from the actors on stage, what jobs can you identify as part of the Front of House services? What work do you imagine is happening backstage?

The Role of the Audience

What is the role of Audience? How does your participation contribute to the experience of the show, for the actors and your fellow audience members?

Please take time to review Mirvish Guide To Attending The Theatre with your student group prior to your theatre visit. It includes some helpful tips and basic “Dos & Don’ts” to assist you in preparing everyone for what to expect, and what is expected of them.

Reflection Questions

• What stands out most to you after seeing the production?
• Is there a feeling or reaction that stays with you?
• Can you pick one element of the staging that you remember as a highlight? What about it was so effective or memorable for you?
• Was there anything that surprised you? How did it compare to what you expected going in?
• How was the wizarding world brought to life?
• Is there anything about the show or the people involved (on stage or behind the scenes) that you want to learn more about?
• How was music and movement used in the show?

Cursed Child Toronto by the numbers

# of Wigs onstage each night - 41

# of Costume pieces onstage each night - 1375

# of Full Costume looks – 155

# of Lighting Cues – total cues called 984

# of People Backstage – 92 (cast, crew, stage management, company management)

# of Wands used on stage each night – 61

# of Props used on stage each night – 384

# of Suitcases – 73

# of hours spent rehearsing – 495 hrs

# of movement sequences/transitions – 20

# of times the word Potter is said – 50

Additional resources are available to help you build a bridge between your experience of the show and your own classroom. Visit the Resources page to explore what is available for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

Looking to build more into your field trip? A variety of enrichment experiences are available to choose from, including Q&As, guided historic theatre tours, workshops and performance group opportunities. Contact our Education Manager at educationandevents@mirvish.com to learn more. Subject to availability; additional costs and restrictions apply.

Our team of Audience Service Representatives is ready to book your student group order!

By Phone:
1.800.461.3333

In Person:
322 King Street West, Suite 325
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5V 1J2

Visit our website for more information related to Schools & Education.

Special thanks to Arpita Ghosa for her contributions to the creation of this guide.