Harry Potter and the Curse of the New Variant

Sitting in the darkened rows of the Princess Theatre, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is in full swing. The special effects are incredible (I won’t spoil it) and it takes an effort to remind oneself that magic isn’t really happening; it does seem the most logical explanation for what the audience is witnessing. Some moments are particularly unforgettable.

Here, on a comfy red seat in a packed row, it is easy to give in to the magic, to forget about life for a while and to place ourselves in the hands of the creatives on stage, spinning their story for our entertainment. How we have missed this: storytelling, imagination, performance!

The crowd is big, slow, respectful. People linger on the footpath outside during intermission, getting some fresh air on a balmy evening under the blazing lights on the facade of the Princess Theatre. The bright lights telegraph to all that Melbourne is back to her old vivacious self.

During the intermission though, a quick iPhone check reveals news stories filtering through about the arrival in Australia of Omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant, identified by scientists in South Africa.