Credit: Warner Bros.You might need to be Obliviated after this…
Ever heard of Spontaneous Potter: The Unofficial Improvised Parody? Nope, neither had we until this story emerged, but it’s a Harry Potter parody that’s currently on tour in Wiltshire in the UK. It hardly sounds like the award-winning West End stage production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016), but it’s designed to entertain “Potterheads” all the same.
As it’s a parody, though, one might need to temper expectations, and perhaps go in with a bit of an open mind (no, we’re not talking about Occlumency). Nevertheless, one theater-goer was left “disgusted and appalled” by a recent show at Wiltshire’s Salisbury Arts Center.
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The attendee in question, who hated the show so much she ended up asking for her money back afterwards, told local newspaper The Swindon Advertiser that the main performer in the production admitted during the opening that they had “never watched a single Harry Potter film or read a single Harry Potter book.”
“I have never watched a single Harry Potter film or read a single Harry Potter book,” they told the crowd.
It should be noted that the show is a parody, but exactly what context this was said in is unclear. However, apparently, when the audience gasped at the comment, the same performer then said to everyone, “You can suck my b*lls”. Again, no context was provided by the attendee, but either way, she was clearly unimpressed.
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“It’s not really what I paid £20 each for a ticket for,” she went on to say, “not what I think many people around me really thought that they paid for. We decided to leave early. It wasn’t anything to do with Harry Potter. It was just a group of four people that were doing some improvised comedy, and it had no bearing on Harry Potter.”
Spontaneous Potter is described in its advertising as “an entirely improvised wizarding comedy play, based on an audience suggestion of a fanfiction title — with live musical accompaniment!” The official website also states that it is, to no surprise whatsoever, unaffiliated with Warner Bros. or the official Harry Potter franchise.
“Note: Spontaneous Potter is an unofficial show that is not endorsed by or affiliated with Warner Bros., JK Rowling or her publishers. All rights to the Harry Potter books and associated trademarks are the property of JK Rowling/her publishers. All film/image rights associated with the film series are property of Warner Bros.”
Confusion seems to have arisen from the poster, which does boast a seemingly-friendly Harry Potter-themed event, which reportedly led to many attendees showing up in their robes and with their wands at the ready for what they thought would be a somewhat traditional Wizarding World affair.
“The Spontaneous Players” told LADbible that they have performed the show 500 times to over 100,000 people across the UK and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for seven years. “We’ve headlined improv festivals, achieved a slew of five-star reviews, and won a Scottish Comedy Award for the show. It is a critically-acclaimed, unofficial Potter parody show.”
They also said that it is “clearly labelled as a 16+ parody show, which contains adult language”, which they maintain is made clear on their website and all third-party sites.
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That HBO reboot suddenly doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Until the upcoming Harry Potter series arrives, though, be sure to check out open-world game Hogwarts Legacy (2023).
Along with Simon Pegg (Phineas Nigellus Black) and Luke Youngblood (Everett Clopton), the Hogwarts Legacy cast includes Sebastian Croft and Amelia Gething (the main character/Fifth Year student), Lesley Nicol (Deputy Head Professor Matilda Weasley), Kandace Caine (Divination Professor Onai), Sohm Kapila (Astronomy Professor Satyavati Shah), Asif Ali (Ravenclaw student Mahendra Pehlwaan), and Jason Anthony (Nearly Headless Nick and the Sorting Hat).
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As per the official Hogwarts Legacy website, here’s the synopsis for the game:
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.
Check out the official teaser for the Harry Potter reboot below:
Related: Harry Potter Could Be Played by a Non-White Actor in the Upcoming HBO Reboot
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (2011) are now all streaming on Netflix.
Hogwarts Legacy is on sale now. There’s currently no release date for the HBO reboot or upcoming video game Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (TBA).
Are you a fan of Harry Potter parodies? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!