This is not a spoiler.

My youngest and I were fortunate enough to get preview tickets to see The Cursed Child last Wednesday. Part one, 2pm and Part Two, 7pm. A Potter Fest, you could say.

A master class in kick-ass theatre and in marrying the fantastic with the real world.

Lightning needs to find a way to ‘earth’. Harry and The Cursed Child struck The Palace Theatre and did just that; connecting the two worlds by bringing the phenomenal and the poignant together while covering what felt like every darn hue in the spectrum between.

I’m no spoiler. What I will say that this is a play that truly delivers on connecting.  Potter converts are already hooked. Newbies are briefed through the program, but it’s not hard to fall head over heels without this. Key to this I feel is that although a compelling story, the play doesn’t patronize. I’m guessing that this is an important component in making the magical and supernatural attractive to all age groups. So here, the audience is treated with the utmost regard, from the way the story deals openly with complex relationship issues- dropping subtle nudges about orientation- to the way the audience is titillated by the stage tricks and there are many- deliberate I think – tip(s) of the respectful hat to audience; production know full well we know how that is done, but these other f****** jaw-dropping tricks, are best kept with them. Collectively and collaboratively, we acquiesce and admire – truly, madly and deeply – and keep the secret. Everyone wants to savour that tangible magic. Its stage and props wizardry that has its roots in classical, traditional, modern and then way beyond things you’ve ever seen. Like I said, it threw our Muggle inspired leanings towards binary out of the window and therefore talking about it to those outside of this theatrical experience is a sure way of vandalizing that magic.

As well as vandalizing a piece of your soul.

Norma Dumezweni consummately nails Hermione. Nuff said.

At the end, my youngest and I were engrossed in conversation and it looked as if we’d missed the opportunity to see the cast float away into the night. Again! We had seen Hermione (Norma Dumezweni), and Ron (Paul  Thornley), slip through the stage door, returning from the cafe across the road from the theatre as we queued for part one, but didn’t have our cameras ready and our wits about us. So imagine our surprise when much later that evening, after the crowds had died away, we effortlessly bumped into Sam Clemmett, who plays Harry Potter’s son, Albus, who also signed the program. My daughter was most pleased.

I suppose there is some truth to the saying, the second mouse gets the cheese….or a delicious bite of it anyway!

This is so worth seeing if you can grab hold of a ticket. 250, 00 more tickets were released on Thursday, 4 August 2016. Head for the website  http://www.harrypottertheplay.com/ticket-information/  for more details.