Arts

As the characters relive the Harry Potter greatest hits, complete with amazing magic, the “Cursed Child” is undeniably a really fun time.

By Molly Farrar

November 14, 2025 | 9:59 AM

3 minutes to read

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boston.

Complete with gasp-inducing magic and a deep nostalgia for the Harry Potter universe, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is a spellbindingly fun and a plot-packed return to some iconic moments.

The nearly three-hour show, now playing through Dec. 20 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, triumphs with its dazzling on-stage spells, bringing the true magic of J.K. Rowling’s world right to your eyes. The plot, originally written by Rowling, Jack Thorne, and Jack Tiffany, feels like a chaotic road trip through the original series’ greatest hits — which should land well with fans of the books and movies.

The first scene of the play picks up right where Harry Potter fans left off, driving home the nostalgic core of the show. Harry is wishing his second-eldest son Albus, played by Adam Grant Morrison, good luck as he begins at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, word-for-word the same as the epilogue of the seventh book and eighth film.

What Rowling teases in that epilogue, however, comes true. Albus is sorted into the Slytherin house, where he meets his new best friend Scorpius Malfoy (David Fine), son of Harry’s rival, Draco. Scorpius, rumored to be the son of Voldemort, is socially awkward and loyal, both the story’s heart and the regular comedic relief.

As Albus struggles over his relationship with his father, the two boys go on a wild, time-twisting adventure to save Cedric Diggory (famously “the spare” killed in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) and end up in a heap of a mess. With probably a dozen time travels, where ripple effects have ripple effects, a non-Potterhead may have some difficulty keeping up (while fans might have issues with the inevitable plot holes).

But the show’s true wonder is the magic — credited to Jamie Harrison — which felt real. Pyrotechnics, flying actors, and convincing dementors were all stunning, and even got some applause from the audience. However, one of the early spells — where smoke shoots from Scorpius’s ears during the pair’s first meeting — didn’t work.

But that seemed to be the show’s only hiccup. In one particularly impressive trick, Harry appeared to approach a phone booth, before getting sucked into it to travel home. In another, the characters, using polyjuice potion, literally turn into the original golden trio onstage, while a dueling Harry and Draco shoot fire and levitate chairs in another exciting scene.

The ensemble’s choreographed transitions, including Hogwarts’ moving staircases, were complemented by a soundtrack written by British pop innovator Imogen Heap.

A main character in his own right, Harry struggles with parenting Albus throughout the play, but his original woes (his responsibility as the “Chosen One,” etc.) annoyingly persist. The Chosen One even gets an apology from late Professor Dumbledore, which felt a little pandering. But actor Nick Dillenburg is wildly charismatic as Harry, with his chemistry with Morrison’s Albus adding a new layer to the hero. Their scenes together are true tearjerkers.

Scorpius, who’s ostracized but fiercely loyal, shines with some of the laugh-out-loud moments and more heartfelt monologues. Fine is definitely a talented comedic voice, with some lines coming across a little histrionic, but he’s a true foil to the serious Albus.

And together, the boys, who are 14 in the play, seem to share a romantic attraction. While in the original two-part play the boys have separate love interests who are girls, the condensed version heavily insinuates the boys have feelings for each other, before Albus all but comes out to Harry at the end.

The play expanded the concept of a romantic relationship between Scorpius and Albus after allegations of queerbaiting at the time of its initial release. In later versions of the play, the undertones of their adorable relationship are more clearly spelled out. (Notably, Rowling faces a lot of controversy from many LGBTQ+ organizations for her stances on transgender people, including that they do not exist.)

Those issues aside, the family-friendly, action-packed show is unlike any play on stage anywhere. As the characters relive some of the iconic Harry Potter moments, complete with amazing magic, the “Cursed Child” is undeniably a really fun time.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany, plays at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Boston through May 20. Run time is 2 hours and 50 minutes, including one intermission.

Molly Farrar

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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