Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I sat in Seat TT23 (Stalls)
TT23 is the seat which is right next to the sound desk. Also there are two more rows behind TT. The Row directly behind TT had the same number of seats but the row behind that one (the last row) had the one seat missing which is right next to the sound desk as there would be zero visibility from that seat.

Review of seat TT23: DO NOT SIT HERE. The seat is sold at full price with only a warning saying "might be issues with overhang". The overhang issue did however not bother me at all - I don't think you really miss anything because of the overhang. However the seat itself is awful!!!! You are crammed in right next to the sound desk - again this does not actually restrict the view, but what does restrict the view is the way the seat is angled in relation to the seat directly in front of you.

The rake which produces good views in most of the stalls stops somewhere around Row TT, meaning that your head is pretty much on the same level as the head in front of you and also the seat is pretty much directly behind the one in front so it resembles more the seating in an aeroplane. As it happened, the person's head who was sitting in front of me, was so high that my eyes were level with their shoulders - consequently the person's head blocked out all the action from the stage 'floor' right to the fly floor. Because of this I completely missed all the action all the way from Centre Stage to the Stage Right Wing. With my left eye, blocked by the person's head in front (a normal sized person), I could only see the Stage Left Wing. At least with my right eye, I could follow some of the action that was closer to Centre Stage, however after an hour of this, I kind of got tired of following the play with only one eye, and pretty much just closed my eyes most of the time just listening to the dialogue as the one eyed thing was giving me a headache.

There is a possibility of moving out of your seat and edging all the way to the right in your seat to avoid the person's head in front of you. However, you do have one person sitting again directly behind you (also on the same level) who when I moved my head into this space, told me that this was the only place they could see anything, and, as I did not want to start a fight, I did not wedge myself into this space.

I really really think this seat should only be sold as a restricted view seat; I have sat in restricted seats before, where the view has been far far better than in this seat.
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I will keep this review spoiler free, in order to ‘keep the secrets’.

When I book theatre tickets it’s usually quite far in advance, months in many cases, so when the time comes around to watch the show I’m not always in the mood, as was the case with Harry Potter.

The show started quite slowly and I wasn’t that engaged, what was all the fuss about? But then something happened; quite suddenly in fact, I was transported to another world. SPOILER ALERT I was on top of a train, disappearing through phone boxes and travelling by floo powder. SPOILER ENDS. A world I loved as a child, a world I had forgotten perhaps, had returned. I was enthralled.

Indeed, I actually preferred the first show to the second. The second could have benefited from a heavy edit, you can feel the show slipping off into tangents, characters appearing for no other purpose than nostalgia. That said, I was never bored and I never wanted the show to end, so…

The set reminded me of Wicked, quite bare, using minimal props to convey so much more. This meant in the truly magical moments you are really blown away. Scenes involving a bookcase and a lake really reminded me of the awe capable in the Potter world.

The acting was excellent; you really feel the love that has gone into this show. Noma Dumezwani was great as Hermione, James La Lacheur filling in as Scorpius was a standout, and Paul Thornley was delightful as Ron.

To the uninitiated this show could prove to be too much. The references to past stories would probably leave a Potter philistine bemused. But if you’ve watched the films/read the books you’ll be pleased.

You can tell Jack Thorne is a fan of the books, his passion for the world bleeds into every scene. There are collective moments where the audience around me, laughed, cried and gasped in shock. As the two girls to my left remarked, ‘It’s just magical’. Yes, yes it is.

Seat Review: Stalls. C20. Excellent view. For top price it was worth it. Completely unobstructed views and close enough to see faces of every actor. Might be better to watch the show from the circle to get more perspective on the spectacle of the show though. Great seats still.
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Have to say overall I loved it, but I agree with Theatremonkey's review. Like the books, some sequences are incredible, some obvious padding. But absolutely loved the imaginative staging, and the central performances were terrific. Not going to add much more for fear of spoilers, but I think this is an absolute must for any fans of the series. My sister who is a huge fan was absolutely blown away.

We sat in the stalls, row A seats 21 and 22. I struck very lucky by phoning up the box office a couple of months ago and got the leader of the returns team who was extremely helpful. The view was faultless, everything was right up close and very intense. Sit further back if you are bothered about seeing the actors feet - given I am very tall this was not a problem for me but might be for others. Legroom - better than it was in row Q but still very tight. I could fit in but there was no room for manoeuvre. I am grateful to the person to my left who was amenable to my invading their space a little but there really was no choice. It was very uncomfortable but thankfully I was so absorbed in the play that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I don't think the situation would have been better anywhere else so the quality of the view was worth it.
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We sat in stalls H2 to H4. All were sold as top price (when original booking was made a year ago, now there are some at a higher price). H4 was fine. H3 OK, but slightly restricted view. H2 should definitely not be sold as anything other than restricted view. You can't see any of the top right hand corner of the stage. This means some action is missed (it would be a spoiler to specify) and on two occasions dialogue takes place and you are unable to see the characters. The seats were comfortable enough, and I may choose them again to be close if none others were available, but I could have had mid-row K instead and would have chosen them in preference had the sellers been clear that H2/3 were restricted view.
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Just a few quick notes on the show we saw yesterday (30th December 2016). Sat in Upper/Grand circle seats A36 and 37. Leg room was tight but I'm 6'1 and if I sat right at the back of the seat I had one inch of gap in front of my knees. I would sit there again as view if stage was great! Restrictions on the view wasn't a problem we maybe couldn't see 10% of back left corner although seats to the left (higher numbers) the view deteriorated very fast so would suggest avoiding unless heavily discounted.

Show was excellent but won't give spoilers.
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On the website it says to check regularly as there are not only returned tickets but they cancel any they see on resale sites and put them back on sale. THIS IS TRUE! To the utter delight of my daughter I got tickets two weeks ago for performances four days away! And there were several available. I’ve told other people to keep the web page open and refresh when they think of it. Two of them have now got tickets.

For the first time, I bought – gulp – premium tickets of which I thoroughly disapprove but hey-ho… (I hope never to do that again) Sat in Stalls G 8 and 9. Fantastic seats. They should be as I will now have to sell a kidney to pay for them… But just about worth it. Very good pair of plays that kept me engaged for the full marathon.

I’m not a Harry Potter fan so I ‘revised’ in advance from one of the many fan sites – definitely worth doing if you don't know the story. More a theatrical experience than a play, I think, but one worth doing. Plus my daughter has now confirmed I am the world’s greatest mother especially as I got Hamilton tickets the same day.
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The row C stalls were perfect...disappointed that Harry was an understudy...the original guy sure looked healthy enough the next night on WOS awards.

We studied the stories but we were still a little lost. Clearly the fans will appreciate this more than the muggles. I was so happy to see it and proudly wear my "keep the secrets" button. Don't really want to see it again on NY and I might not be able to afford it. Looks like most people on cancelation line got in.
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I sat in stalls seat C4 for both parts of Harry Potter in May 2017. The tickets cost 70 pounds each which was the highest price when I booked them the previous August but I think there are now premium tickets available which cost more than that.

This seat is the end of the row. You'll see on the seating charts that there is a pillar at the end of the row - the pillar doesn't obscure your view in any way - it does make it impossible for anybody enter the row without you having to get up but that wasn't a problem.

I was close enough to see facial expressions and costume and set detail and I think I got 99% of the action. There was some activity at the back right hand side of the stage (when there was some magical travel going on) that I couldn't see because of the seat position and height. There was also a character entry that I missed because they stayed on the right hand side of the stage very close to the wings -the rest of the audience laughed at his appearance that tipped me off and I was able to see the character once I leaned my head a little to the left.

Well organised set up at the venue in my experience - they have staff manning the ticket collection line, security checks are friendly and fast, staff manning the merchandise queue and what must have been the fastest moving Ladies toilet queue I've been in (they had a staff member manning the toilet queue as well :) )
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19th July 2017.

I am not a theatre goer so I have little for comparison, but I was very very impressed with the special effects.

I am not a Harry Potter fan but the plot for the first performance was not very dependant on previous knowledge although I am probably underplaying the role of some of the general background knowledge I had from wading through about two thirds of the first book a few years ago, and any additional briefing supplied by my daughter. The 'programme' (if it's worth a fiver for a glossy booklet mainly devoted to the story of the theatre and its benefactors, more than the play itself!) does give a brief summary of the story so far, but notwithstanding my "not dependant" comment above I think having some previous knowledge of the characters and their history is important - but hard to judge as I haven't experienced the play without it!

I would say however that judging by audience responses to some of the conversations in the play, the more you know about the past stories the more you will get out of it, as there were clearly references and nuances that went over my head - but not necessarily to the detriment of following the plot.

After the first half of performance one there were occasions when I found the plot themes somewhat repetitive and therefore a little tedious but nevertheless, apart from a phase in the middle of the second half of the first performance when I started to nod off (showing my age!), the play did generally hold my attention and the effects in particular were gripping and more than enough to restore or maintain it had it become under threat.

Again the plot in general was easy to follow in performance two but I think there was much more detail dependant upon previous knowledge too (of much more than just performance one). Again, hard to tell not having experienced it, but I think one would have struggled a lot more without ANY previous knowledge in performance 2. As it was, there was plenty that I had to accept I wasn't going to understand myself without more background knowledge, but not so much that I couldn't get enough out of it to enjoy the plot in more general terms.

As for the seats...upper circle G21 and 22. These worked very well for us thank you!! View was excellent, especially as they were central. Facilities were immediately accessible although I had to go upstairs for a hot drink where it was a bit crowded in the bar but I was able to be served in time.

Perhaps this is normal and a totally unnecessary comment, but I did find the diction very clear and audible from all of the actors throughout, which I greatly appreciated. This was not my experience attending a play in Birmingham recently that was rubbish in comparison and in more ways than that! Incidentally most schools haven't broken up, which I imagine is why there were very few children in the audience. Any rustling, chatter or disturbance would have significantly impeded my concentration trying to keep up with the plot and developments I think, though probably not someone who is familiar with the background stories.

We were at the back of the upper circle so you couldn't see actors' facial expressions, although I did take binoculars which at least helped get some take if not continuous close ups on each of the main cast.

Which leaves the comfort rating...

Had I been in the middle of the row, I think it would have been good practice for my economy long haul flight on Monday, but, sitting on the end as I did, it did work out as planned I am glad to say, with room at the side to compensate for the more limited space in front. So apart from stretching etc in the intervals, I felt no need to stand up or move to stand behind (which I could easily have done, had it been allowed) during the performances. However my daughter who is only five feet three did complain about the limited space when we first took our seats but seemed absolutely fine throughout thereafter.
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I and two friends went to see these shows this week (27th and 28th July 2017). We had purchased at £99 for the two shows together seats in Row M of the Stalls. The view was excellent for seats M7, M8 and M9 and there was plenty of leg room. However, our enjoyment was severely impaired because of the extraordinarily fierce arctic wind effect from the theatre’s “cooling system”. It is was both cold and irritating as the wind was strong enough to be blowing our hair around! We asked at the interval whether the effect could be moderated/turned down/off, but received a negative response. The following night, for the second performance, we turned up with hats and scarves - in July! I think seats M5 and 6 were similarly affected as the people in them also turned up dressed like Shackleton. It was like having the breath of the Dementors on you for two hours.

All the air vents in the wall to our right (looking towards the stage) and seemed to be on overdrive - and so undoubtedly there were others being similarly afflicted. It was very targeted. The people in the row behind (N) seemed to be fine, ditto row L in front. The vents are positioned mid-way up the walls - around head height, but seemed to be blowing in a diagonally downward direction, hitting at around seat 4 through to at least seat 9. I think it was more annoying as you do not expect to be tortured thus for £49.50.
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A party of 7 of us saw this show in July 2017. We sat in The Balcony E8-14. I'd read other reports re: The Balcony's seating problems but since we couldn't afford any of the more expensive seats I booked these with a little trepidation - particularly since I was responsible for the other 6 in the group!

We found no problems at all in those seats. The person on the aisle seat, E8, said the metal safety rail marginally cut into the right front corner (as you were looking at it) of the stage, but this hardly mattered. Those of us further towards the middle of the row had no such obstructions...your view is 'over' the rail... it doesn't 'cut into' the view. Yes, you are high up, but you can see everything clearly and all the illusions/special effects are designed in such a way as to be appreciated from wherever you sit.

There were no problems with leg-room. There were a couple of moments, 2 scenes each probably only a couple of minutes long involving water, (I'll say no more), which took place right at the front of the stage, and for which you needed to lean slightly forward to see the action. Everything else was easily seen.

The rake is so steep up here that your feet are level with the shoulders of the row in front so there is absolutely no problem seeing over heads, (apart from the aforementioned leaning forward bit) but they are very short scenes, and you can hear even if you can't quite see!! All other action had a clear view.

During the interval and between Parts I and II a few of us moved around to 'sample' views from other seats. I would agree with other comments that views from Rows A - D (centre block) are hindered by the safety rails, and the further towards the ends of the rows you go, the more of the edges of the stage are 'cut off'.

Row E where we were is priced at £20 per Part. Row F, directly behind(!), is £40, (in fact it may now be even £42?). DON'T spend double the money to sit a row further back!!!! There is no need to. You won't gain anything!! This is the gamble I took and it paid off.

For people on a budget as we were, go for £20 in Row E centre block every time. My sister is under 5' tall and had no problem seeing from E10. Avoid Rows A-D. The further back you go the steeper the rake and from the very rear of The Balcony you would most likely lose much of the top/back of the stage.

Howard. (North Lincolnshire).
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Seat: Stalls, N6 for £72.50. This row is staggered such that sitting in this seat means you see the stage between the two people sat in front (why don't all theatres do this?). This resulted in a great and unobstructed view. I'm 6ft / 1.83m tall and found leg room tolerable (my knees touched the back of the seats in front if I slumped a little). I was able to put my feet under the seats in front which helped.

I have to say I really enjoyed both parts and loved all the visual effects. It's a bit slow in places but I didn't mind because I really got into the story. I also really liked how they used time travel in the play whereas in the books I hated the time travel stuff. I just wish Ron was less of a side character but you can't have everything lol.
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Well what a day to do a double. Saturday 23rd June 2018 was roasting, very grateful to be in a box.

We were in box X. The view of the stage is OK, but SPOILER ALERT we were watching feet act every time they climbed those staircases. and the Dementors are a lot less scary when you can only see their robe tails. SPOILER ENDS.

Having read the script I knew what was coming most of the way through, so to be honest the view did not detract from our enjoyment of the play, and it was wonderful not to be packed into the seats with all those other bodies. For the price I paid for the tickets, I will be very happy to use this box again.

It is still extremely popular, and there was not an empty seat to be had in the house.

I am very happy to report that the magic is just the same on the stage as it is in the books and the films. Sometimes it was a little slow, but as a true Potter fan, I just can't get enough of the stories, and this is a fitting story to add to the rest of the tales.

I was happy with nearly all of the cast, and most of them have well established boots to fill, so fair play to them. There was only one I didn't like, and it was not a big enough part to worry about.

Very happy to have finally seen it, and I would happily got to see this again.
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We saw both parts of this show on Saturday 29th September 2018. The shows were great, plot a bit confusing, but I had read the script so knew what to expect. I won't give any spoilers but the cast, staging and effects were wonderful.

My big issue is with our seats. We bought top price stall tickets just over a year ago, but could not select our actual seats. We were allocated D26 and D27 in the stalls, both top price tickets. THEY ARE AWFUL! Restricted and awkward view of the stage and a clear view of cast members waiting in opposite wings. Also could see cast and crew in black moving about on stage which spoiled some of the magic and illusions. So unfair when other audience members, who paid the same price, sat in much better seats with a proper view. The two end seats of the row, D28 and 29 are classed as obstructed views and priced accordingly; the man in D28 was leaning across me on more than one occasion to see properly and I would think that D26 and certainly D27 should be classed the same. I will not book tickets for this show again unless I can choose my own seats. Very disappointed.

Gillian.
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I was keen to see the Cursed Child sometime in the next few months (January 2019), so after a year and a half of unsuccessful Friday forty entries I decided it was time to start checking for returns and maybe forking out for full price seats.

I went to the Nimax website last Monday morning, and started off looking for seats to individual parts. I figured the original buyers were probably more likely to return a single ticket than both together, so was disappointed when there was nothing at all available. Then, just on the off-chance, I looked for both parts together. Hey presto, there were the seats! Top price non-premium stalls tickets, rated theatremonkey green, for the Thursday and Friday night that same week. I couldn't believe my luck! At the payment page I discovered that if you've bought both parts together you can't then return a single ticket, which explains why I had more luck looking for both parts.

I got stalls F22-23 and I have to say they were brilliant. Fantastic view of the stage and much better legroom than those sitting a few seats along. I didn't feel especially off-centre (I was slightly nervous as these are right at the edge of the green section on your plan, but needn't have worried) so would highly recommend.

The play itself was hugely enjoyable. If we weren't Potter fans then I doubt I'd rate it, but anyone who knows the books will probably enjoy the story, and it's well staged. Controversially I preferred part 1. Maybe if I'd held out I might have won the Friday forty in the end (a colleague of mine was successful so I know it's possible), but I'm glad I splashed out on these seats.

All I can say is thanks so much for your seating plans. Usually I've already decided what I'm going to see, when I want to go and how much I can pay, so I just use your plans to get the best seat possible for the funds I have available. However, last week seeing those little green blocks made the difference between me talking myself out of a £300 Monday morning impulse purchase, and being brave enough to go for it and having an excellent time.
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Attended on a Wednesday for both plays on the same day. Sat in seats R 26 and 27 in the stalls. These came with a warning when booking about the overhang but I was actually pleasantly surprised. You do miss the very top left hand corner of the stage but not much happened up there so it wasn't really an issue. The rake here is quite good and as long as you don't have a giant in front you get a good view. It is near the back of the stalls but you don't feel too far away and the sound is still good. Definitely happy to pay £42.50 per part. If I'm honest I was a bit disappointed with the play itself. The story is good and I did enjoy it but as a theatrical experience I didn't think it was up to scratch with a lot of other things I've seen recently.