Muggles visit the wizarding world

ANY good book shop has a certain magic about it, as shelves overflow with colour, ideas, and imagination.

At Collins Booksellers on Lydiard last week, that magical feel was elevated, as two performers from the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child visited the store.

Hannah Fredericksen who portrays Moaning Myrtle, and Mick Bani, the actor who plays the Sorting Hat and Bane, read some of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and sat down to meet young fans of J. K. Rowling’s written world.

“You don’t truly realise how widespread the Harry Potter fanbase is, how big the show is, and how much of an impact it can have, especially on young kids, until you hear from the kids themselves,” Bani said.

“To hear how fun the experience of going to live theatre is for them, it just melts your heart. You have no words, but to feel love.”

Eleven-year-old Amber-Rose has read most of the Harry Potter books, was excited to meet Fredericksen and Bani and have a poster autographed.

“My favourite book is the Deathly Hallows. I saw the play and I thought it was really cool,” she said.

Fredericksen first read The Philosopher’s Stone when she was in grade 1 and is now a key part of the play which tells the eighth story in the canon, about “family and acceptance.”

“We get to pick up 17 years’ after the other books have finished, meeting Harry, Ron and Hermione again, but we meet their kids, and get to fall in love with them,” she said.

“There’s a lot of magic, fire and battles… Pretty epic. We encourage people to come and see the show if they love Harry Potter and want to be immersed in that world.

“But you can see it irrespective of whether you have that prior knowledge. If you just want to be transported to the wizarding world and spend three-and-a-half hours within a spectacular, there’s something for everybody.”

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is playing at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre.