Shrinking potion: two-part Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to become single show in London

Olivier award-winning West End production will follow US example and be trimmed to make it ‘more accessible than ever before’

For almost a decade it has been the most epic fixture in West End theatre: a two-part play that runs for five hours, including intervals. But later this year Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will only be staged in London as a shortened, single production running 175 minutes.

The new format is in line with the other versions of the hit play presented in the US, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. Its producers announced on Monday that a one-part production would make it more accessible, “allowing even more audiences to experience the story with one ticket and one visit to the theatre”.