To celebrate 10 years of its iconic Quarry Theatre, Bedford School hosted a gala performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an abridged schools’ version of the multi-award-winning West End play by She Who Cannot Be Named.
Preceded by a speech by Head Master, James Hodgson and attended by local dignitaries, former pupils and at least one Hollywood film star, the show was a collaboration between the boys’ school, Goldington Academy and Bedford Girls’ School and showcased the exceptional talents of the cast and crew as well as set designers and choreographers.
Indeed, special mention must go to the prop hands, who theatrically swooped onto the stage between scenes, creating a choreographed visual spectacle out of the mundanity of moving a desk.
Given that the West End production of the show is over five hours long, it goes without saying that the storyline has been simplified for the purposes of the schools prodcution, with a running time of half that.
And while the special effects and wizardry might not have been as jaw-dropping as in the professional production, there were still some great moments of magic that had the audience puzzling over how they were achieved.
Imaginative use of physical theatre conjured up the journey on the Hogwarts Express, with just a few suitcases and trunks as props, and the elaborate basin in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom was a sight to behold.
The cast was exceptional, especially James Angus as Albus Potter and Rory Stewart-Jones as Scorpius Malfoy, plus Chloe Stokes as Moaning Myrtle.
Universal themes
Writing in the programme, director Antoinette Keylock said: “The Quarry has grown in reputation and influence over the last decade and the theme of growing up is integral to The Cursed Child.
“In the case of Scorpius Malfoy, this derives from his father’s reputation and the rumour he is the son of Lord Voldemort. In the case of Albus Potter, it is the expectations he feels due to his father’s reputation, a problem exacerbated by Harry’s difficulty in communicating effectively with his son.
“Given the particular attention that Bedford School places on men’s mental health as one goes through the teenage years, this story of (re)negotiating the relationship with one’s parents as you grow up is a universal theme of direct relevance to our pupils, as well as their families.”
To have such an incredible cultural asset in our town centre is something we should never take for granted, and we look forward to what the next 10 years at the Quarry Theatre have in store.
Edited at 16:33 on 9/12/25: Following context from the play’s director, we have removed the paragraph regarding male students playing two of the female roles.
