Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrates 10 years in the West End
by Best of Theatre Staff on Thursday 30 July 2026, 9:01 am in West End News & Gossip
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child marks a decade at the Palace Theatre today, having been seen by more than 2.5 million people in London since it opened in 2016. The record-breaking two-part play runs until 20 September, before a reimagined one-part production begins performances on 9 October.
Today, 30 July 2026, the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning original production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrates 10 years at its West End home, the Palace Theatre.
Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, the London production opened at the Palace Theatre in 2016 and proved a ground-breaking moment in UK theatre, captivating audiences and critics alike with its illusions, theatrical magic and the emotional depth of Jack Thorne’s script, brought to life on stage by director John Tiffany. A decade on, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrates the unprecedented achievement of being the longest-running play in modern West End history to be performed as a two-part theatrical experience.
The production has now been seen by over 2.5 million people at the Palace Theatre, including more than 300,000 first-time theatregoers. A total of 276 cast members have taken to the stage over the last 10 years, including 45 actors making their professional stage debut, across a combined 1,762 performances of Part One and Part Two — over 8,300 hours of performance time.
Jack Thorne said: “Creating Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been a truly wonderful experience, and we are all delighted to be celebrating 10 years in the West End. 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.”
Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender added: “It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since we first opened our two-part play. What followed has been an extraordinary journey none of us could have imagined. No one involved in those earliest days could have foreseen that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would transform the theatrical landscape, inspiring audiences worldwide and redefining what was possible on stage. We are profoundly grateful to every audience member who has joined us.”
Over the last decade the production has become a global success, seen by more than 14 million people worldwide. It received a record-breaking nine Laurence Olivier Awards — the highest number ever awarded to a play — along with a record 60 major honours globally, including six Tony Awards. Five productions are currently running, in London, New York, Tokyo, the Netherlands and on a North American tour, with previous stagings in Hamburg, Melbourne, San Francisco and Toronto.
The current West End cast features David Ricardo-Pearce as Harry Potter, Claire Lams as Ginny Potter and Joshua Sullivan as Albus Potter. Thomas Aldridge and Naana Agyei-Ampadu play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, with Tamia-Renée Alexandra as their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley. Oliver Boot plays Draco Malfoy, with Kai Spackman as his son Scorpius.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, the play is written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany, with movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music and arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision and arrangements by Martin Lowe, and casting by Julia Horan CDG and Lotte Hines CDG.
The original two-part production is now booking until its final performance on 20 September 2026, with tickets from £15 per part. Tickets for the upcoming reimagined one-part production, told in a single complete performance, are priced from £25, with performances beginning on 9 October and booking open to 27 June 2027.