— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) October 22, 2015
Ever since the announcement that there would be a Harry Potter play in London, partly written by J.K. Rowling no less, anticipation has been high for any details about the project. Fans of the boy wizard have been without a new book or movie for years now, and even the promise of fresh content from Rowling herself is tantalizing. The drought is over though, as the first artwork for the London production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2 was released through the show’s official Twitter account.
There are no details about the play’s plot or major characters as of yet. However, Rowling previously stated that the play is not a prequel even though it takes place before Harry arrives at Hogwarts which sounds like exactly the kind of mystery Harry Potter fans are used to cracking.
Luckily for the curious-minded, the first poster does supply some clues as to what might unfold on stage. The image consists of a small child (Is it Harry Is it another magical child) tucking his knees to his chest while nestled inside a giant nest. A large pair of black wings extend from the nest, which could be an artistic flourish or could mean there is a flying bird’s nest somewhere in this play. Hey, stranger things have happened.
There are many birds, nests and poorly-treated magical children in the existing Harry Potter Universe so there are a myriad of options from which to guess the subject matter here. Does a Hippogriff return at some point Is a phoenix closely involved in the action somehow And who is this “cursed child” really Chances are these questions won’t be answered until the curtain rises on opening night. In the meantime, rest easy that J.K. Rowling is pleased with the first poster. If Rowling is a fan, it must be a good choice.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 22, 2015