Top 5 questions about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child answered

According to Google, the number of people searching for "Harry Potter spoilers" rose by 240 per cent following the first preview of the Harry Potter play last night.

https://twitter.com/GoogleTrends/status/740496113795366912

Not everyone is being quite so cheeky however. Here are the the top 5 (spoiler-free) Google questions about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child... answered!

1. What is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new West End stage play, devised by Harry Potter author JK Rowling and written by playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne (who's also adapting Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials don't you know).

2. Will Harry Potter and the Cursed Child be a movie?

No, it will not be a movie. You'll have to wait for Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for that. It will also not be a novel, as JK Rowling made clear earlier this year – although the script of the play will be released on 31st July as a book.

3. When does Harry Potter and the Cursed Child come out?

The first preview launched last night (Tuesday 7th June), but the official opening will not be until 30th July 2016. Until then, slightly cheaper preview tickets have been sold for audiences to see the production, as the cast and director work together to iron out any issues before the big Opening Night.

But this won't just be a London treat. JK Rowling says she is hoping to bring the Harry Potter production to theatre audiences around the world.

4. What is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child about?

Don't worry, we will #KeepTheSecrets and not give anything away, but here's the basic outline. The play begins where the seventh book ends, following Harry's son Albus Severus.

Here is the official synopsis.

"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."