Interview with Ellis Rae and Harry Acklowe from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been transporting audiences back into the magical world since it opened in 2016 at the West End’s Palace Theatre. Now in its ninth year, with a record nine Olivier Awards and having been seen by over 1.8 million people in London, we had the opportunity to chat with Ellis Rae and Harry Acklowe who star as Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy in the West End production. Read on to find out more about their experiences on stage, the challenges of stepping into their roles, and what it’s like to bring new depth into this story for beloved and new audiences.

What was it about this production that made you want to audition for it? Harry Potter is a massive franchise so what drew you to want to take on the West End production?

Harry: I saw the show with my family probably around a year before I actually auditioned for it and I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it. I think what's really interesting about the show is that obviously everyone knows the wizarding world whether it’s through the books, the movies, the audiobooks and all these different mediums that everyone knows the Harry Potter world from. But actually, what I think is really unique and wonderful about this show is how they created it on stage in a live theatre format, and that's what I absolutely loved when I saw it.

Ellis: Going on from what Harry said, I grew up with it too and always loved the Wizarding World. I fell in love with the writing and the book itself. Albus’ character was something I wanted to audition for if I could. I hadn’t actually seen the play before I auditioned - I made a conscious effort not to, but once I got the part I went to see it. I saw it not long before we started rehearsals so I could finally familiarise myself with exactly what the show was, and it blew me away! To this day there are still things that happen on stage that I still can’t quite fathom how they’ve pulled it off or come up with it. It’s an incredible spectacle of a show with some real heart behind it as well. 

You mentioned that you have had a connection with Harry Potter prior to this show as you were fans of the book. So what is your favourite book or film from the series?

Ellis: My favourite book is The Half Blood Prince. I love the back stories and how we start to see all of that come together. I love everything about that book and my favourite film is The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry: I've actually got two completely different answers! I love The Goblet of Fire book. I also listened to the Stephen Fry audio books, and there's particular memories involved with that. It’s such a beautiful story, and so action packed. And I’ve always loved Order of the Phoenix, that’s my favourite movie. I know it’s a bit of a rogue choice and not one people always say, but I just love the actual Order of the Phoenix, all the different characters and seeing them come together. So that's always been my favourite film.

Let’s talk a little bit about your characters. You play the roles of Albus and Scorpius. So how do you begin to approach bringing such iconic characters to life and kind of making them your own?

Ellis: I got the Cursed Child book as a gift from a friend of mine when I was about 17 or 18 and I very quickly took to Albus as a character. I really felt for him because he’s a funny old character. He goes through quite a lot, makes a lot of terrible decisions, complains a lot and does a lot of whinging as you might say. But, when it comes down to it, he is just a 14-year-old boy going through a really hard time at school. The idea of trying to live up to someone like his dad, who people used to describe as being like ‘Nelson Mandela meets Jesus’, must have been really tough. If your dad is of that level and you can't even ride a broom, I can see why it would be so difficult.

There was just something about Albus that I could really connect with. I’m quite close with my dad so I haven’t experienced anything like that, but the difficulties of being a teenager - dealing with bullying and not feeling like you fit in - are things I think most people can relate to. So I always felt I had a bit of Albus in me to relate to and I brought that into the process. It kind of paid off in the end.

Harry: I think for me it’s the beauty of the actual concept of the show. It’s 19 years after you first left off from the end of the seventh book and the characters that everyone knows and loves have lived another life in that time. They’re different and they’ve had twice the amount of life experience since the Battle of Hogwarts. We obviously play the children of these characters, who are completely different from their parents' characters, although they are similar in certain ways.

The beautiful thing about this show is that it lends itself to making your own version of the character. The real mission for me was that I wanted to make sure I did right by them and make sure that Scorpius came across as lovely as I think his heart is. Both of the characters we play have their hearts in the right place but sometimes it’s difficult to understand where that will take them.

Scorpius Malfoy (Harry Acklowe) and Albus Potter (Ellis Rae). Photo by Manuel Harlan

You touched on the kind of relationship your characters have. How would you describe it and did it develop from the rehearsal room to the stage?

Harry: That’s the thing about this story is that, yes, it takes place in a magical world but actually a lot of the storylines aren’t super crazy. It’s a story about friendship and trust. If you took all the magic, the amazing things that take place - of course it’s very cool, but it’s about the importance of seeing your son, seeing your friend and being there to support them in times of hardship. I had a beautiful moment recently where my secondary school came to see the show and it was a group of 11 and 12 year old boys. I was instantly transported back and remembered all those feelings and challenges that you are having to navigate at that age. Then just think how much harder that would be when you’ve got this magical stick in your pocket that you can turn your homework into a frog?!

Ellis: Jack Thorne’s writing on this show is brilliant, and like Harry said, at the end of the day it's just a story about relationships. That’s exactly what the play is about. Whether it’s about a father and son or two friends like Albus and Scorpius. Other characters in the play work really hard to try and keep them apart, but there’s a real deep connection between them, something within their souls that draws them towards each other from the beginning. Even in the music, there’s so much detail, like when they first see each other, there’s something there - they’re destined to be friends.

In terms of how we built on it in the rehearsal room, Harry and I actually met during the audition process. We took to each other quite quickly and got on really well. We’d see each other in and out of the audition room so by the time we got to rehearsals it was really nice, we were very comfortable with one another. From there, it was just about figuring out how we worked together and how we bounced off each other. It was a great process overall.

The cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Photo by Manuel Harlan (1)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is most notable for its presentation of special effects. How do these elements emphasise the story and how does it work?

Ellis: One of the big things that makes the play so amazing is that we’re all so familiar with the wizarding world. People come from all around the world to see the show because they know what Harry Potter is, and they have an idea of how the magic looks. So, to then portray that on stage, is absolutely mind-blowing. There are things that happen, and things that the team do, that elevate it to a level you couldn’t believe. The plot itself is incredible. When we delve into the wizarding world and explore the main crux of the story - like the time-turner and traveling through time - the way those elements are brought to life is absolutely unbelievable. Even the costumes are extraordinary. 

If we’re talking about production, it’s not just about the magic, it’s also about the costumes and how every character is designed. When we head into Part Two, the way they create that world through costumes, hair, and character designs is absolutely amazing. It elevates the entire production and makes it what it is. Although we work very hard to portray these characters and tell the story, without the magic, the incredible hair designs, the WHAM (Wigs, Hair and Makeup), and the costume department, it just wouldn’t work - the wizarding world and the magic of it wouldn’t translate properly, so all of that is pivotal.

Harry: I think the thing to remember, and I didn’t really realise until I started working professionally, is that a lot of shows go through such a big process. In our previous year’s cast we had someone who had been in the show since the original cast back in 2016 and I remember him telling us about the workshops. He spoke about the way that the illusions are designed is not too dissimilar to what you would have seen from people like Harry Houdini. There are still moments now, even after doing the show for a year, where I still think WOW! A friend came to see the show recently and afterwards they wanted to know how things happened because it defies all logic and expectation, it’s a wonderful kind of human made magic.

Along the journey through the Wizarding World we’ve lost some pretty iconic characters. If you could bring one back and into Harry Potter and the Cursed Child who would you pick and why?

Ellis: Easy, mine would be Sirius Black for many reasons. I think Albus would do great if he could get to know him and have this great godfather, I think Sirius would give him some excellent advice. Sirius was a bit of a rebel, he hated school, and I think there are a lot of things that Albus could drop on which would help him a lot.

Harry: I’m bringing Dobby back. Absolute legend. He was part of the Malfoy Manor at some point and I’ve got a connection with him there. Maybe he could teach me some lessons, but also, I just want to see Dobby on the stage [laughs]. 

If you could adapt one of the books into its own play, which would you choose and why?

Harry: It’s got to be The Philosopher’s Stone, it’s the first one I read - or was read to me by Stephen Fry in the audio books. It’s actually a really beautiful story, and it’s before the storyline gets quite dark, which is an interesting point in itself.

The way the series of Harry Potter books progress is remarkable. At the start, the challenges are smaller, the losses are minor, and the tone is more lighthearted to some extent. But as the series goes on, the challenges grow bigger, and the stakes get much higher. That progression mirrors the way our show is structured as well. As it unfolds, you experience a similar journey to what you went through with the original series. Of course, it’s not a trilogy - there are seven books - but you get the idea. Seeing the golden trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) go on their first adventure would be a beautiful thing to see on the stage.

Ellis: I’d love to have a different opinion but I'd have to agree with Harry, I think, because of the challenges in The Philosopher’s Stone, it would be great to see on stage. Imagine the flying keys…

Harry: The key’s flying about would be every stage manager’s nightmare [laughs]. 

Ellis: There’s also so much you could do with it like the reveal of Quirrell. There’s a real kind of drama to the first film because it’s Harry discovering the wizarding world for the first time. They did that in such a way that there was such a mystique behind everything. 

Harry: I’m now thinking about the logistics of this! How are we going to do it? I’m thinking on the back of Quirrell’s head, we’ve got a small world animatronic going!

We’ve got to make this happen! So to wrap up, how would you sum up Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in three words..

Ellis: I’m going to sum it up in the three words our characters say. Wizzo, double wizzo!

Harry: Legacy lives on.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is at the Palace Theatre, for tickets and further information visit www.harrypottertheplay.com