A couple of weeks ago, I went down to London for the day to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for the third time. I’m a massive Harry Potter fan and I bought tickets for the theatre show the very day they went on sale back in 2015. The first time I saw the show, I was blown away. Everything about it is magic and I recommend that all Harry Potter fans go and see it at some point.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

As Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently only showing in one place in the UK, many people are having to travel to see it. If you’re not from London, then you will be making a day (and night!) out of it and you may have several questions before you go. Here, I’m going to tell you everything that you need to know before you head to London to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The two parts

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is actually split up into two parts. When you book tickets, you will need to get a ticket for Part One and Part Two. You are able to see both parts in one day (if you go for a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday) or you can buy tickets to see Part One and Part Two on separate days.

Spending all day in the theatre can be a bit much. If you live in or near London, then it might be a good idea to see the two parts on separate days. Each time I’ve seen it, I’ve done both parts in the same day. I have found myself getting a bit sleepy towards the end.

If you do decide to see both parts of the play in one day, here’s what your day will look like:

Part One – Starts at 2pm and lasts for 2 hours 40 minutes with a 20 minute interval meaning that you will get out of the theatre at 5pm.
Part Two – Starts at 7:30pm and lasts for 2 hours 35 minutes with a 20 minute interval meaning that you will get out of the theatre at 10:25pm.

Getting tickets

Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are sold way in advance. As I mentioned earlier, I bought my first ticket in September 2015 as soon as they went on sale. However, the show wasn’t until April 2017 so I had to wait a whole 19 months to see it! By that time, the two people I had bought tickets with had decided that they didn’t want to go anymore. So, I ended up seeing it alone and I sold their tickets on. Tickets are released every so often from the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child website and also from Ticketmaster.

As with all West End theatre shows, there are different price bands for tickets. They start at £15 per part and go up to £80 per part. Each time I have been, I have had the £15 tickets. Although I have been high up in the stalls, I have never had a restricted view. I have spoken to people who have had more expensive tickets and the cheapest ones and they have said that paying extra is not worth it.

The Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre is on Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of Soho, London and is really accessible by public transport. If you want to get the tube then the closest underground stations are:

• Tottenham Court Road (Central Line and Northern Line) which is a 5 minute walk away
• Leicester Square (Piccadilly Line and Northern Line) which is a 3 minute walk away
• Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line) which is a 7 minute walk away
• Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly Line) which is a 10 minute walk away

There are also plenty of bus routes which go through Soho. You can plan your route on the TFL website. Or, you could consider getting an Uber which is a pricier option.

Theatre security and bags

As with most public places these days, The Palace Theatre has strict security. Before you enter the building, you must have any bags searched. Then, you will be scanned with a hand held metal detector. This may seem a bit invasive, but it is all for your own safety.

Bags are allowed into the theatre, but certain items are restricted. You are not allowed to take your own food or drinks inside. Bottles of water are permitted, as long as they are plastic. I took my own reusable water bottle and got it filled up at one of the bars.

If your bag is over a certain size, you will be asked to put it in the luggage store. The first time I saw the show, I had a suitcase with me. I called in advance to make sure this was okay and was told it had to go downstairs. I had to pay £4 to place the suitcase in storage per part. If you need to do this, make sure you leave plenty of time to get your case searched and to allow you to take it downstairs.

You also need to be aware of how small the area around your seat will be. Don’t take a bag that is too big or you will end up with less leg room. This time around, I took a small Dr Martens backpack which fits in all my essentials. All I really needed was my water bottle, a handheld fan (it gets so hot in there), my purse and my tickets.

Food and drink

Food and drinks are available inside. As with all theatres, they are often overpriced but they want you to pay for them, which is why you can’t take your own in. I paid £3.80 for a can of Red Bull which is an indication of the prices. If you can manage with just water, then wait until the break between the two parts. Hot drinks, wine, beer and other soft drinks are also available. You can also buy sweets, popcorn and small tubs of ice cream during the intervals.

Around the theatre, there are plenty of places for you to choose from during the two parts. Leicester Square and Covent Garden are short walks away, so you have plenty of time to grab a meal. If you are looking for fast food, then I highly recommend Mod Pizza in Leicester Square or Taco Bell. A three course meal wouldn’t be advisable as it is a busy area, so you don’t want to end up waiting a long time for your food.

Places to stay

With the theatre being in Soho, Central London, there are plenty of places for you to stay. Whether you are looking for a fancy hotel or a hostel, there are options for everyone. You don’t have to spend a lot of money just because you are staying in London, I have previously stayed at the Travelodge Farringdon which has Super Rooms as well as the standard ones. It’s around a half an hour walk from the theatre, or you can use the bus/underground or Uber to get there. This time around, I stayed at the YHA London Central, which cost me just £25 for a bed in a female only room. This was just a 20 minute walk away from The Palace Theatre. I felt completely safe walking back there on my own in the dark.

If you haven’t seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child yet, then I recommend you get yourself a ticket. It’s a fantastic show for anyone who, like myself has grown up with the Harry Potter series.