Long before the triumphant and faithful Musical adaptation on London's West End, there was a ludicrous but lovingly lampooned parody of J K Rowling's famous creations which started life at The University of Michigan in 2009; and has gone on to play smaller theatres and Fringe venues all over the Harry Potter-reading world.
I must, I feel, make a confession at this juncture. I have only read the first book, and only watched the first half of the first film; and consequently have only a scant knowledge and understanding of the characters and storyline. And once it moved away from The Philosopher's Stone into other storylines from later novels, I have to admit to not understanding many of the contrivances, plotlines and characterisations. This however, is not the fault of the company; instead a failing on behalf of the creators of this musical, since one really does need to have a prior knowledge of all the Harry Potter books in order to truly get the most from this musical, and it really ought to be able to stand alone, on its own merit, as indeed musicals like 'Les Miserables' (from Victor Hugo), or '9 To 5' (from the film of the same title) do.
However, one thing was abundantly clear this evening; and that was that the audience - consisting almost entirely of peers and fellow students - were having a whale of a time. Of course, Harry Potter would have been what they were reading and enjoying in their early teens, and so knew the story and characters and were able to laugh at the outrageousness and mockery which was performed by a youthful, energetic and hugely enthusiastic cast.
Everything this evening, from the cardboard cut-out props to the corny pasquinadery was diligently thought-through. Although my personal favourite simply had to be the large purple dragon! The music and sound levels were perfect; the costuming was deliberately tatty; the lighting was, for the most part, effective, and the cast were clearly having the time of their lives, meaning that this palpable energy carried through into the audience and lifted us all up - despite a late start due to a technical fault, and then having to vacate the building due to a fire alarm! None of this mattered - it was almost as if the whole thing was pre-arranged as a part of the show... a double-bluff parody!
Taking the lead was Xavier Moras Spencer as Harry Potter. His light-coloured tenor voice and the juxtaposition between his self-deprecating body language and his ego, was delightful; but on top of that he was also acrobatic too, making him a very watchable but rather enigmatic performer. His second act duet with Ginny leading into a quartet was simply stunning. ('Love Is All We Need?')
The 'Golden Threesome' as they have become known was completed by the talented Charlie Steggall, as a tall but defintely ginger Ron, and Bella Finch, a stubborn know-it-all Hermione. Hannah McCoy impressed as Ginny, as did Lucy Whelan's Snape. Draco Malfoy (Ella Kendrick) was played with the strangest body-language ever, perhaps because he is a "Slytherin" he needed to snake around on the floor continually - but it was an odd choice. Was this directed or scripted that way I wonder. As Voldermort, Oscar Brennan's malevolence and deathy make-up impressed; however I detected an American accent coming through at times, and was unsure about why that should have been.
As for the other, lesser characters, it would be impossible for me to pass comment since I am uncertain as to who they were originally before being lampooned! I was waiting to visit Diagon Alley or for Mrs McGonagall or Half-Headless Nick to appear but neither did...!
Directed by Sophie Beake, Musical Direction by Louis de Satgé, and simple but effective choreography by Mollie Henman, it was clear that the cast were in safe hands, as their love for their respective crafts shone through. A very funny and hugely entertaining evening - despite my lack of Potter knowledge I still enjoyed the show in my own way very much.
Directed by Sophie Beake, Musical Direction by Louis de Satgé, and simple but effective choreography by Mollie Henman, it was clear that the cast were in safe hands, as their love for their respective crafts shone through. A very funny and hugely entertaining evening - despite my lack of Potter knowledge I still enjoyed the show in my own way very much.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 23.2.22
on - 23.2.22
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