Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Sets Its West End Opening Date

The Harry Potter stage play, previously announced to be hitting the West End in the summer of 2016, has confirmed dates for its run at the Palace Theatre. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which will be staged in two parts, will begin previews on June 7, 2016 in advance of a July 30 opening.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne (who pens the play), and the production's Tony-winning director John Tiffany, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child takes place 19 years after the book series' final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which contains an epilogue set 19 years following the book's events).

The official description of the plot is as follows: "It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

J.K. Rowling's series of seven fantasy novels follows the title character through his adventures as a young wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As of May 2015, the books have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history. The stories were also adapted into an eight-part film series by Warner Bros. Pictures, which has become the second highest-grossing film series of all time.

For information on how to secure tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, check out WhatsOnStage's helpful guide.