If you haven’t read the latest popular series of books or watched their inevitable screen adaptations, you’ve probably missed a few punch lines and been left out of a few conversations. These characters and their adventures become ingrained in pop culture and thus a part of our daily lives… and now they’re taking over the stage. Live renditions or extensions of these beloved stories have been regularly appearing on stage for several years. However, the change in venue and restrictions of theatre have generated some very interesting takes on movies that rely heavily on special effects. Potted Potter is the Cliff’s Notes version of the series and it’s a must-see for fans.
There are only two performers and they take audiences through all seven of J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter books in 70 minutes. The show is definitely not a replacement for reading the series, or even watching the movies, but it’s a hilarious pared down representation of the key components from each installment. In between recounting the tale of Harry Potter vs. Lord Voldemort, the actors regularly quarrel about the gaps in one of their knowledge and the misallocation of funds meant for props and other actors to help them portray the hundreds of characters in the magic adventures — instead it’s just the two of them and a selection of hats, wigs, glasses and inappropriate accents.
For anyone even just familiar with the stories, this show is remarkably entertaining as they boil each book down to a few basic scenes, provide comedic commentary on the storylines and character development, and frequently ad lib giving the show a unique and personalized feeling. There is also a game of quidditch that requires some audience participation — unless you’re in the balcony, which has its own pros and cons.
Scott Hoatson and Brendan Murphy are unquestionably hilarious in both delivering the script and the improv they pepper throughout the show, still surprising each other after numerous performances. Mistakes and misfortunes are incorporated into the show so it continues to flow seamlessly in spite of a failed joke or missing prop. The acting pair has undeniable chemistry that seems to almost definitely stem from a real-life friendship off-stage… and if not, they’re even better actors than one first thought.
Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience — A Parody by Dan and Jeff is currently performing the tail-end of its Canadian tour at Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre.
