TORONTO CAST OF HARRY POTTER & THE CURSED CHILD
ACTORS THOMAS MITCHELL BARNET & LUKE KIMBALL
important in that . But then all the accuracy and precision come back to how we deal with the big magic moments . If that precision didn ’ t exist , we wouldn ’ t be able to light things the way we do and have the moments the way we have them .”
“ Lighting in the show is , so much more than ever , about what you ’ re not lighting ,” Austin says as we near the end of our conversation .
“ Lighting is always about that . It ’ s about , where is the shadow ? But here , the shadows are the single most important thing . They allow so much of that illusion to happen .”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is all about illusion . But that alone wouldn ’ t suffice . This is a show for the Harry Potter faithful — the Potterheads . It does what the Harry Potter series has always been best at , which is create a magical world of wonderment , mystery , danger , and excitement . But just as important , it combines that with a very human core . At the core of this latest chapter in the franchise is a story about childhood , identity , belonging , parenthood , and love . So , when you combine all the elements together , it ’ s obvious why it has been a blockbuster success .
“ In London , 70-75 % of our audience in the first year were first-time theatre-goers , which is extraordinary . It really is . Because if there ’ s one show you ’ re going to take a risk of going to the theatre on , make it this one . If you don ’ t come out of this going , ‘ Wow , theatre is amazing ,’ then you ’ re dead inside . It combines that suspension of disbelief , and then the next moment you ’ re going , ‘ How is that even possible in a live environment ?’” says Austin . “ We ’ ve been brought up on film where you become blasé about any form of effect , because anything is possible …. Now you just don ’ t know where reality starts and ends in the film world . And so , I think to manage to wow an audience that ’ s grown up on that stuff with things happening in real life , in real time , one after the other , in a way that they just can ’ t comprehend — it ’ s wonderful . That ’ s the triumph of the piece .”
Michael Raine is the Editor-in-Chief of Professional Lighting & Production .
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