Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript
by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
At a glance
Pages320
First published2016
SettingHogwarts and wizarding Britain, nineteen years post-Deathly Hallows
AudienceMiddle grade (8-12)
ISBN133821666X
About the Author
J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany1 book reviewed
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
The Official Playscript
by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Wizarding World devotees and theatre enthusiasts who want to engage with the canonical eighth story of Albus Severus Potter and Harry's fractured father-son relationship, especially those who cannot attend a live production.
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the official playscript of the landmark two-part stage production, following Albus Severus Potter's struggle to forge his own identity in the shadow of his father's legendary name — nineteen years after the events of Deathly Hallows. The production earned an unprecedented nine Laurence Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards including Best Play, cementing the story's status as an author-sanctioned canonical extension of the Wizarding World. Devoted novel readers should note that the script format places the celebrated stagecraft on the page as written direction rather than lived spectacle, and that fan reception of the story itself was more polarized than the overwhelmingly positive critical response to the stage production.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers who cannot attend a live production — or who want to engage with the only full canonical account of Albus Severus Potter — the playscript is the sole way to experience this story in print. The production's credentials are exceptional: nine Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best Play represent the most decorated theatrical achievement in the property's history. The key caveat is the gap between the overwhelmingly positive critical reception of the stage production and the more polarized fan community response to the story itself, which readers of the original novels should weigh before picking it up.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy the Wizarding World's expansion into new formats and voices may also appreciate Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling, another script-format entry into the official Wizarding World canon. For fantasy with rich world-building and a beloved magic system, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss offers immersive, novelistic depth. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman blends wit and fantasy in a way that appeals to readers who enjoy ensemble character dynamics and an irreverent take on established mythology. Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus shares the theatrical, wonder-drenched atmosphere of Cursed Child's stage spectacle translated to prose, while Rainbow Rowell's Carry On offers a knowing, affectionate take on the boarding-school magic-school tradition that Hogwarts helped define.
- Who should read this?
- The playscript is essential reading for Harry Potter fans who want to engage with the only full canonical account of Albus Severus Potter and his complicated relationship with Harry — whether or not they can attend a live production. It is also well-suited to theatre enthusiasts curious about the text behind one of the most awarded productions in West End and Broadway history. Readers who approach it as a playscript rather than a novel — and who are open to a story shaped by Jack Thorne's theatrical voice as well as Rowling's world — will find the most rewarding experience.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 10 and up — the same broad readership as the later Harry Potter novels. The story deals with themes of parental disappointment, fractured family relationships, and the weight of inherited legacy, which are best appreciated by confident middle-grade readers and older. The script format also requires a reader comfortable with dramatic dialogue and stage directions rather than traditional prose narrative.
- Should I see the play or read the script?
- Seeing the live production offers the illusions, physical stagecraft, and choreography of magic that critics overwhelmingly praised — elements that exist on the page only as written stage directions. For readers outside a production city, or those who cannot attend a performance, the playscript is the only way to engage with the full story. The two experiences are genuinely distinct: the script is a narrative artifact and a record of a theatrical landmark, while the live show is what earned the nine Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards.
- What awards did it win?
- The original West End production at the Palace Theatre received eleven Laurence Olivier Award nominations and won nine — including Best New Play — a tally Wikipedia describes as unprecedented to this day. The Broadway production at the Lyric Theatre earned ten Tony nominations and won six, including Best Play. The worldwide productions have collectively sold over six million tickets, and the printed playscript became an immediate global bestseller upon its release alongside the West End opening in summer 2016.
Summarize this book
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Who should read this?
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Should I see the play or read the script?
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Summarize this book
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the official playscript of the original West End production, set nineteen years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The story centers on Albus Severus Potter — Harry's second son — who is sorted into Slytherin rather than Gryffindor and grows increasingly resentful of his father's mythic legacy, driving a fractured father-son conflict across both parts. Harry himself is now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, juggling career, marriage, and three children, while the narrative markets itself as 'the eighth story, nineteen years later.' The script was written by Jack Thorne from an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Thorne, and Rowling has stated it should be considered official Wizarding World canon.
Follow up
What happens to Albus at Hogwarts?
Is it written as a novel or a script?
Is this an official continuation of the Harry Potter series?
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 8–12
Reading level
Middle grade
who it suits
Best for: Ages 10+ — thematic complexity around parental legacy, identity, and fractured family relationships, plus a dramatic script format, suits confident middle-grade readers and older
Skip if you're expecting novelistic prose and the immersive narration style of the original Harry Potter novels, or if you're a devoted fan who wants the story to feel fully consistent with the original seven books
Editorial Review
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the official playscript of the original West End production, based on an original story by J.K.…
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