Last weekend, we finally got to go see both parts of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child", the "Harry Potter" play that will be discussed so much this weekend when it opens to the public. Tickets for the pre-shows were on sale at discounted prices at the end of October last year, and I managed to get tickets despite waiting hours to successfully book. As mentioned, the play officially opens to the public on the 30th of July, but the first couple of months have been testing out the dialog and tweaks in front of a live audience with discounted tickets. With only a week to go until official opening day, the play must be nearly complete as to what will be shown.
If watching the play at the weekend days, both parts can be enjoyed back-to-back (with an hour and a half for dinner.) The play can also be seen during the week on two consecutive nights or two different nights, but the cast cannot be guaranteed to be the same. The fact that the play is in two parts may put off some people, but I think fans of the books/films will still make the effort to see it.
I actually did not feel that it would live up to the books or films, but I was proven wrong. It's a brilliant story set in the future for the life of Harry Potter and his friends. Now, I am not allowed to say much or spoil the show, so spoilers cannot be found here. I will simply say that it's brilliant, and the little "magic" bits used in the show are real treats and filled me with awe. For those who do want to know more about it but have been unlucky with getting tickets, the script will be released at the weekend.
As mentioned previously, this was a whole day affair. We decided to make the most of it, so we headed over to Regent Street for the summer party in the hopes to get free ice cream, but they were setting up and we would have had to wait an hour (by which time, we'd have had to be in the theatre). We had breakfast at Balan's Soho Society around the corner from the theatre. The French toast really hit the spot. I have not had French toast since living in the states.
After we saw the first play, we had just over an hour and a half to kill. We decided to go to Chinatown (just south of Palace Theatre) to eat Chinese at (what I consider) one of the best Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. Even numerous people of this origin love the place (and it's been a discussion with another friend of mine), so it must be good. They do cater for those with more Chinese tastes as well as the Anglo-Chinese tastes.
The place in question is Imperial China. We received so much food that we could not eat it all as the main portions are large. The bloke had the chilli beef, and I had the spicy chicken. I cannot remember the names of the dishes. We also shared noodles and beansprouts.
Imperial China is located on Lisle Street, and if you look inside the door and at the back, you will see a little red bridge and some Chinese lanterns. The rest of the restaurant is behind this. There are huge goldfish in the little pond underneath this bridge, and that's a nice touch.
Balan's Soho Societ is located on Old Compton Street.
Have you been to see 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' yet? If so, leave your comments here.
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