Harry Potter and the Cursed Child autism adapted performance set to arrive
By Callum Gunn
(Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
An autism adapted performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is to take place at the Palace Theatre in London.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been taking the West End, and soon to be Broadway, by storm. It is the play that everyone wants to attend, Harry Potter fan or not.
And now even more people will want to attend as an autism-friendly stage performance is coming to the Palace Theatre in London. The performance is being adapted in order to be more suitable for someone with autism, a decision which has been accepted with much enthusiasm, including the National Autistic Society.
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What is an autism adapted show?
An autism adapted show, or a relaxed performance as it is sometimes known, is where subtle changes are made to the overall experience of the theatre to make it more comfortable for someone with Autism. Performances like this have been going on for some time now in London, as early as 2013, with the West End performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night being the flagship.
An example of what would go on during a relaxed performance would be the main lights or house lights staying on during the entire performance. Any load or unexpected noises would have a warning given beforehand. Flashing lights are also warned about or sometimes even removed from the performance.
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It is not just the performance that is adjusted. Adjustments are made outside as well. Intervals sessions are adjusted and foyers are maintained to stop things becoming overcrowded and overwhelming.
Adjustments do vary from theatre to theatre and on the performance but overall the aim is to make it more comfortable and relaxed for an autistic individual. The performance itself is not changed; it is just how it is presented that differs.
We are excited to announce that the first-ever 'autism-adapted' performance of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child @HPPlayLDN will be taking place at the Palace Theatre in London. Sign-up to our mailing list for exclusive access to tickets when they go on sale https://t.co/TA0wFUY0mA pic.twitter.com/AOoqcY6Lff
— National Autistic Society (@Autism) February 20, 2018
How can I get tickets?
No tickets are currently being sold for the performance but you can visit The National Autistic Society’s website where you can get on the mailing list so when tickets do become available you have exclusive access.
It should be noted that this is only happening in the West End London performances at the moment. No plans have been made to do the same thing at any of the New York performances.
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So what do you think about an autism adapted version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Would you like to see this happen all over the world? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.