C and I both enjoy reading the Harry Potter series, and I remember how we ‘fought’ over who would get to read the latest book first, as it didn’t make sense for us to purchase two copies of the same book. For the record, I won, because I read a lot faster than C does, and erm, also because I can out-whine him on any given day. I remember passing him the book and going to sleep after I finished it one night, and waking up the next morning to find him hunched over the book, so engrossed in it that sleep wasn’t an option.
I’ve read and re-read the seven Harry Potter books quite a few times, and when I heard that Potted Potter would cover all seven books in seventy minutes, I knew we would be in for a real treat. I mean, the movie versions of each book are twice as long, so to condense all that material into such a short period of time, would be no mean feat indeed.
Potted Potter at Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel
The set
James Percy getting into character on stage, before the show began
The set wasn’t important, because the stars of the show were clearly the two actors, Benjamin Stratton (Ben) and James Percy (James). They played all the different characters with just the help of wigs and one or two props, which is no mean feat, considering how there are more than 300 characters in the seven books. Don’t worry, they didn’t parody all 300 characters, and you don’t need to have read the books before catching their performance, though I personally think that having a knowledge of the characters and plot would enhance your experience.
“Harry Potter” and “Voldermort”
There were quite a few children in the audience, and let me tell you, they were such a wonderful audience, laughing away appreciatively at all the antics of Ben and James. In fact, during the *spoiler alert* Quidditch game that occurred midway through the show, the seekers were both children volunteers from the audience, and the most enthusiastic participants of the match were the children seated in the audience, who got really excited each time the ball got to them.
Honestly, I think the Quidditch game was my favourite part of the show, not just because audience participation was required, but because of how well Ben ran the entire bit. I couldn’t stop laughing at his hilarious commentary, “Booing yourself. That doesn’t bode well.” and great improvisation. We had a member of the audience leaving the room before the match began, and Ben got us all to shout bye at him as he walked out. When he returned, Ben jokingly told him that he would be in Hufflepuff, and the man, who couldn’t seem to take a joke, shouted, “The AC is not working!” as he fanned himself grouchily. Ben quickly replied, “Right, I’ll let them know.” and continued with the Quidditch game. I guess that man didn’t get the memo that he had to bring his sense of humour along to the show!
Time for Quidditch!
We had a great time laughing throughout the show, and credit must go to the two actors, who had excellent comic timing, and worked tirelessly together to entertain us. They interacted really well with each other and with the audience, and from the raucous laughter than rang out from the seats throughout the performance, I think everyone (except maybe the humourless man) had a wonderful time being transported into the wonderful world of Potted Potter.
Check out these clips for more Potted Potter highlights!
Potted Potter runs for one week only, so get your tickets quickly!
Potted Potter Tuesday 9th September to Sunday 14th September 2014 Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel Tickets from $70, available through Sistic For more information, check out www.lunchbox-productions.com or www.pottedpotter.com.au
*We were invited to catch Potted Potter for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are our own, unless otherwise stated.
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