06 Dec 2025
Deborah Heath is blown away by St Albans High School for Girls’ adaptation of the Hogwarts stageplay
For any readers who don’t know, ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ presents quite an interesting concept. The original plays (there are two full-length plays designed to be seen in tandem) were written by Jack Thorne, a Potter fan who approached JK Rowling with his scripts; they are basically fan fiction.
This shorter version of the play has been adapted for secondary schools and although on the long side for a school production, was certainly manageable in one sitting. The story takes place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry but 20 years on from the end of Harry’s own adventures.
This time Harry’s son Albus is the central character who befriends Scorpius, son of Draco Malfoy, Harry’s arch-enemy from his school days. Their friendship causes a rift between fathers and sons, both pairs already having an awkward relationship. In essence it is a coming of age story for father and son meaning that there is a point of identification for most ages in the audience.
“People say parenting is the hardest job of all but they’re wrong; growing up is. At some point you need to decide what sort of person you want to be.”
I entered the school with a completely open mind, having not seen the original production or read the script. I was probably in the minority here as the lobby was packed with excited Potter fans. I was impressed with the ways STAHS drama department created an ambience from the outset. Their entrance lobby was bedecked with starry lights for a magical touch. There were scene setting props on display and themed drinks and snacks on offer. One lovely touch was the Trolley Witch (played with great humour by Florence Martin-Flaven) who pushed her trolley through the crowd as she would have done on the Hogwarts Express.
I had been told about how impressive the technical elements on the West End show are and I was wondering how on earth a school production could create the magic needed for this show. However, entering the performance space took my breath away as I was greeted with professional level presentation. The floor was painted with a a large clock and a two sided staircase towered above. As the action progressed, this spectacular set demonstrated not only beauty but practicality.
All units were easily moveable and adaptable and I commend the ensemble for the ease at which they glided them around the space.
STAHS boast an impressive lighting rig and sound system too. Incidental music and lighting design were on point and complimented the action such as the blanket scene and Tri-Wizard tournament. They even managed to make some characters fly – the budget for this show must have been quite something!
Acting was of a good standard throughout with a collection of outstanding performances.
Obviously with a cast of around 60 I cannot mention many of them here but my first shout out is to the ensemble.
Often overlooked, an ensemble is absolutely essential for a large show like this. Without their excellent scene setting, the atmosphere would not be successfully created. I loved watching the mimed interactions such as on Platform 9 3/4 and large scale movement sections like the opening to Act II which was a particular highlight to me. Well done to this team!
Maddy Conway as Draco Malfoy had a powerful stage presence with highly convincing physicality and emotion. Tilly Pegg (Delphi Diggory) shone whenever she was on stage demonstrating the perfect balance of humour and angst. Lois Moore was a charmingly funny and tender Ron Weasley and really helped to lighten the mood of what was quite a heavy play.
The roles of Harry and Albus are hard to nail because they are essentially the serious ones who can’t quickly capture the audience’s hearts with a funny quip. However, Neve Gordon (Albus) and Katie Thompson (Harry) did a great job throughout and their final scene sitting on the bridge was really touching. Well done to all the actors and sorry I have a word limit!
Personally, I missed the Harry Potter boat so a lot of references in this play passed me by. I did feel a little lost at times as the action unfolded. The story is a little bit like the plot to ‘Back To The Future’ but not quite as successfully penned. Perhaps the slightly odd pacing was due to it being abridged. However, I acknowledge that ‘The Cursed Child’ was written by a fan for other fans and not as a standalone play for audience members like me.
This was quite simply an outstanding production. Well done to the cast, crew and directors, Heather May and Zoe Briggs. The students at STAHS are very fortunate to have performing opportunities like this. Wishing them all the best for their next show!
All photos by Stephanie Belton
