Theatre review: Potted Potter

Everyman, Cork

You don’t have to be a Harry Potter nerd to appreciate this speedy slapstick parody of JK Rowling’s seven-book series on the boy wizard, Harry Potter, of Hogwarts School. This unauthorised take on the best-selling phenomenon is just 70 minutes long and is packed with fun and audience participation.

The premise of the show, written by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, is that James, an expert on Harry, and his sidekick, Ben, a bluffer, are going to gallop through the works. They are unfazed by the fact that the Harry Potter books contain some 300 characters. James gets to play Harry while Ben has to muggle through by playing an assortment of characters using wigs and head gear such as horns.