Record-breaking show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is celebrating its 10th anniversary in London’s West End.

The play, a sequel to JK Rowling’s seven-book series, debuted at the Palace Theatre in 2016 and has now been seen by more than 2.5 million people.

The anniversary marks the beginning of the end for the show as audiences have always known it. The original two-part production is now booking until its final performance on September 20, before Harry Potter and the Cursed Child reopens at the start of October as a reimagined single-part production, lasting 2 hours 55 minutes with one break

A total of 276 cast members have taken to the Palace Theatre stage over the last 10 years, including 45 actors making their professional stage debut. There has been a combined total of 1,762 performances of Part 1 and Part 2, delivering more than 8,300 hours of performance time.

The show has received a record-breaking nine Laurence Olivier Awards, the highest number awarded for a play. It has also received multiple other UK theatre awards, and a record 60 major honours globally, including six Tony Awards.

Written by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes place 19 years after the events of the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Cursed Child
(Harry Potter and the Cursed Child )

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child follows Harry’s son Albus Severus as he arrives at Hogwarts expecting to be sorted into Gryffindor house, but instead finds himself in Slytherin, making him feel unable to live up to his father’s legacy.

Thorne said the crew were “delighted” to be celebrating the show’s 10th anniversary.

He said: “From the very beginning, it has been a collective effort, shaped by the passion, creativity and dedication of every person involved in bringing our show to the stage.

“One of the things that makes theatre so special is the shared experience between the audience and performers who journey through the story together, and to have brought new audiences to the Palace Theatre to have their first theatregoing experience at our show is something we are all proud of.”

Director John Tiffany said: “It has been an incredible 10 years for everyone who has been involved in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and a joy for us to bring this show to our fantastic audiences in London and around the world.

“We wouldn’t be reaching this milestone without the many brilliant artists, both on stage and behind the scenes, who have all contributed their astonishing talent and unwavering enthusiasm to bring this remarkable story to life at each and every performance.”

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