Media captionJK Rowling: “I knew the (Harry Potter) novels were done, but there was other material there”
JK Rowling has praised fans for keeping the secrets of stage show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Speaking at the gala opening at the Palace Theatre in London, the best-selling author said fans had been “amazing” at avoiding spoilers.
“It’s the most extraordinary fandom so I’m kind of not surprised, because they didn’t want to spoil it for each other.”
She added: “I’m so happy we got here without ruining everything.”
Rowling said that she’d like the new Harry Potter play to be seen widely around the world.
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Asked if the show would head to Broadway, she told the BBC: “I’d love it to go wider than that. I’d like as many Potter fans to see it as possible.”
The story, by Rowling, writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany, is set 19 years after the seventh and final book in the series, the Deathly Hallows.
It portrays the stars of the Rowling’s wizarding saga as adults with their own children heading off to school.
Image copyrightManuel HarlanImage caption Poppy Miller (Ginny Potter) and Jamie Parker (Harry Potter) in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Image copyrightManuel HarlanImage caption Hogwarts revisited: The cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Audiences had been urged to “keep the secrets” since the play – presented in two parts over five hours – began previews in early June.
It won a number of five-star reviews earlier this week, with one critic describing it as “a game-changing production”.
Rowling, Thorne and Tiffany joined the cast on stage as the audience gave a standing ovation at the close of part two of the play on Saturday night.
Speaking earlier, Tiffany said the play had “not massively changed” during the preview period.
“We’ve crystallized and evolved some of the illusions and costumes – all of the actors are still in it, I’m glad to say. It’s been great to see it develop in front of an audience.”
The script book of the play, billed as the eighth Harry Potter story, is published at midnight after play’s gala opening.
Image copyrightManuel HarlanImage caption Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger), Jamie Parker (Harry) and Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley) Image copyrightManuel HarlanImage caption Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) and Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter)
Book shops around the world are planning late-night openings to allow fans to pick up their copies.
Waterstones said 140 of its shops would host Potter parties on Saturday night, with the largest events in Edinburgh, Manchester Deansgate and London Piccadilly.
A spokeswoman said: “Our pre-orders have exceeded six figures – numbers we haven’t seen since the last Harry Potter book and we fully expect Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be our best-selling book of the year.”
Records broken
It’s a similar story in the US where booksellers Barnes and Noble say it’s broken the pre-order record Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The Harry Potter books have sold more than 450 million copies since 1997 and been adapted into eight films.
Potter fans are also preparing themselves for spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by Rowling, which opens in November.
Image copyrightAPImage caption Much was made of JK Rowling’s footwear at the premiere Image copyrightAPImage caption The play is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series
