Harry Potter and the Cursed Child's
Magic and Mind-Blowing Stagecraft
Cast a Spell Dec. 28-Jan. 11 at DPAC

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars (from left) Adam Grant Morrison as Albus Potter,
David Fine as Scorpius Malfoy, and Maren Searle as the Trolley Witch (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, playing Dec. 28-Jan. 11 at the Durham Performing Arts Center, is "event theater" that truly deserves the label: a blockbuster story wrapped around some of the most jaw-dropping stagecraft outside of Broadway. It's a play that understands its audience -- Potter fans who want wonder, nostalgia, and spectacle -- but is also smart enough to build its magic on something sturdier than wand flourishes: the messy, tender, sometimes painful reality of family, friends, and the fear of disappointing the people that you love.

Upon arriving at the theater last night, it was apparent that the audience was ready to be a part of the magic, with many wearing Hogwarts scarves and robes and sporting wands. They were ready to be transported into the Harry Potter world that was created by J.K. Rowling and adapted to stage with Jack Thorne and the show's director, John Tiffany. The new storyline premiered first as a play in 2016 in London, with the idea that theater could bring its own magic to the tale.

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars (from left) Julia Nightingale as Delphi Diggory, David
Fine as Scorpius Malfoy, and Adam Grant Morrison as Albus Potter (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

DPAC bills Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as a "mind-blowing race through time," sparked when Albus Severus Potter -- Harry's headstrong son -- befriends Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's son, and their friendship sets off consequences that ripple through past and future. The show is ultimately about what happens after the "happily-ever-after," when heroes become parents, kids become mirror images (or rebellions) of the stories that raised them, and the weight of a famous name starts to feel like a curse.

Set years after the original saga, Cursed Child is designed to delight and trigger recognition among Potter fans -- familiar names, familiar conflicts, familiar shadows -- yet does not simply replay them. The tension is generational: Harry's fame and trauma collide with Albus' need to define himself outside of it. Meanwhile, the friendship at the center (Albus and Scorpius) becomes the show's most refreshing choice: it's earnest, funny, and emotionally specific in a way that keeps the plot grounded even when the story starts bending time.

Even if you're not the kind of fan who knows every detail of Potter lore, the themes land, because they're human: guilt, grief, loyalty, resentment, and the longing to rewrite a moment that you can't stop replaying.

The Real Star: An Amazing Set and Stagecraft That Feels Like Sorcery

Nick Dillenberg stars as Harry Potter (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

If you're going for the theatrical thrills, you won't leave hungry. This show is truly a spectacle. The production's illusions and whirling movement are designed to keep your eyes darting: transformations that happen in a blink, bodies that seem to defy gravity, and transitions that make time itself feel elastic. DPAC's large-scale setting suits the show's ambition, and the technical team's work -- especially the illusions and magic and the choreographed movement -- lands as a feature, not a garnish.

The Characters: (The Original Central Characters and Their Children)

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays DPAC Dec. 28-Jan. 11 (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

It's a good idea to review the characters in advance, because they are old, new, and transforming before your eyes back and forth in space and time.

Harry Potter (Nick Dillenburg), who is now a husband and father of three, is Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic and is still carrying the emotional bruises of his past. He's trying to be present for his family while memories of Voldemort-era trauma continue to haunt him -- especially as his relationship with his son Albus strains under the pressure of expectation.

Larry Yando stars as Albus Dumbledore (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Harry's wife and Albus' mother, Ginny Potter, played by Erica Sweany, provides a steady counterweight -- supportive, perceptive, and clear-eyed about what is going on with father and son.

Hermione Granger (Rachel Leslie) is now Minister for Magic. She and Harry remain close allies at the Ministry of Magic, and her dynamic with Ron Weasley still carries that familiar spark (and squabble) underneath the love and devotion.

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars (from left) David Fine as Scorpius Malfoy, Mackenzie
Lesser-Roy as Moaning Myrtle, and Adam Grant Morrison as Albus Potter (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Ron Weasley (Matt Harrington) is a warm-hearted husband and dad -- still affable, still loyal, still the first to jump in when Harry needs him. In this story, Ron's humor isn't just comic relief; it's part of the glue that keeps the "chosen family" together.

Draco Malfoy (Ryan Hallahan) has matured into someone fiercely devoted to protecting his son, Scorpius, while battling rumors about Scorpius' parentage. He still mistrusts Harry and challenges the Ministry, but the play reframes Draco's sharpness as something rooted in fear and love -- not just pride.

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays DPAC Dec. 28-Jan. 11 (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Harry's son, Albus Potter (Adam Grant Morrison), is the emotional center of the next generation: the middle child who feels crushed by the "Harry Potter" legacy. Sorted into Slytherin, he doesn't fit the story that everyone expects him to live, and his hunger to be his own person collides with a deep longing to be truly seen by his father.

Scorpius Malfoy (David Fine) is brilliant, eager, and self-aware -- excited for Hogwarts but shadowed by gossip about who he really is. Fine provides some of the play's most emotional scenes as genuinely optimistic and emotionally brave: a kid who keeps showing up, keeps speaking up, and refuses to give up on friendship.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars Katherine Leask as Professor Umbridge (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Rose Granger-Weasley (Naiya Vanessa McCalla), the daughter of Hermione and Ron, is ambitious, clever, and driven -- very much her parents' daughter. She tries to stay connected to Albus even as life at Hogwarts (and Albus' choices) pull them apart.

Delphi Diggory (Julia Nightingale) is introduced as Amos Diggory's niece and caretaker, working with him at St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards -- an entry point that ties the new story to old grief (and the wound that Cedric Diggory's death created).

The cast is very large, with many "fan-favorites" brought back into the story. Moaning Myrtle (Mackenzie Lesser-Roy) was a particular standout in her voice and acrobatic movements, and Professor Severus Snape (Larry Yando) commanded the stage with his ominous presence.

Make Your Plans to Attend Now Before It Disappears

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars Larry Yando as Professor Severus Snape (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

This matters for planning: DPAC lists the show's runtime as Act 1: 1 hour, 20 minutes; Intermission: 18 minutes; Act 2: 1 hour, 17 minutes; Total: 2 hours, 55 minutes. That's a substantial night out; but the show rarely drags, because it is structured like a series of escalating chapters -- each one pushing you toward the next reveal.

That said, it's still a play (not a theme-park attraction), and some scenes inevitably function as connective tissue -- necessary setup, emotional reset, or plot alignment. The production is at its best when it lets relationships breathe before snapping the story back into motion. If you're a viewer who loves dense plotting and constant forward movement, you'll be happy; if you're someone who prefers long, contemplative character scenes, you may occasionally feel the script hustling you along. The tradeoff is that the payoff moments hit with real force.

At DPAC, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays like a polished, crowd-pleasing epic that still finds room for heart. It's big, fast, and often genuinely astonishing; but it works, because beneath the spells and spectacle is a story about how hard it can be to live up to a legend -- especially when the legend is your own family.

The North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars (from left) Matt Harrington as
Ron Weasley and Rachel Leslie as Hermione Granger (photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Jack Thorne's HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31-Jan. 4 and Jan. 6-11, except 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31st), based on a story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, with music composed and arranged by Imogen Heap; directed by John Tiffany, with movement director Steven Hoggett; starring Nick Dillenburg as Harry Potter, David Fine as Scorpius Malfoy, Ryan Hallahan as Draco Malfoy, Matt Harrington as Ron Weasley, Rachel Leslie as Hermione Granger, Erica Sweany as Ginny Potter, Naiya Vanessa McCalla as Rose Granger-Weasley, Adam Grant Morrison as Albus Severus Potter, and Julia Nightingale as Delphi Diggory, plus an Ensemble that includes (in alphabetical order) Kaleb Alexander, Julianna Austin, Josh Bates, Markcus Blair, Danny Bó, Riley Bocchicchio, Ashley Bufkin, Casey Butler, Erin Chupinsky, assistant movement captain Simon Gagnon, Abbi Hawk, Nathan Hosner, Danielle Lee James, Torsten Johnson, Katherine Leask, Mackenzie Lesser-Roy, Evan Maltby, Zach Norton, Chanté Odom, Will Rhem Jr., Elise Southwick, Ayla Stackhouse, movement captain Jennifer Thiessen, Timmy Thompson, René Thornton Jr., and Larry Yando; and presented locally as part of Broadway at DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/harry_potter_and_the_cursed_child. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh_v7zn8QBU. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://www.tiktok.com/@dpacnc, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_Performing_Arts_Center, https://x.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/@DPACLive. 2025-26 BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/broadway-at-dpac/season/broadway-at-dpacs-2025-2026-season. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. THE TOUR (Sept. 10, 2024-Present): https://tour.harrypottertheplay.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-538613, https://www.facebook.com/CursedChildUS/, https://www.instagram.com/cursedchildus/, https://www.tiktok.com/@cursedchildofficial, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Cursed_Child#North_American_tour_(2024%E2%80%93present), https://x.com/CursedChildNYC, and https://www.youtube.com/@CursedChildOfficial. CAST & CREATIVE TEAM: https://tour.harrypottertheplay.com/cast-creative/. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (2016 West End and 2018 Broadway play): https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/, https://www.jkrowling.com/book/harry-potter-cursed-child/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-514843, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harry-Potter-and-the-Cursed-Child, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Cursed_Child. JACK THORNE (Bristol, England-born playwright and screenwriter): https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/jack-thorne, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jack-thorne-500771, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2113666/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thorne. CONTENT ADVISORY: DPAC cautions, "... [T]his production is NOT recommended for anyone under the age of 8." NOTE: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3rd, performance. TICKETS: $55 and up (including taxes and fees). Click here to buy tickets. (Note: DPAC has $30 plus tax Student Rush tickets for students with ID. Click here for details.) GROUPS (10+ tickets): 919-680-2787, Groups@DPACnc.com, and https://www.dpacnc.com/events/groups-services. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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