A Potted Potter Experience

Because I’m in the mood for rekindling my love for acting, I’ve booked tickets to plays and movies for the next couple of months.

First on my list is Potted Potter, The Unauthorized Harry Experience, A Parody by Dan and Jeff. This was written and created by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner. I’m lucky I was able to see the ad for this show – see, I’ve already missed it thrice before, when it showed in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014. This year, the show returned to Manila, back by “magical” demand. The catch is there was only 9 shows, as they ran from only from March 20 to 24. I knew it would get sold out quickly, so when I saw some slots open for last Friday, I grabbed one right away.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I came in the hopes of being entertained. It was a parody, after all. When I saw the playbill, I was pretty surprised that there was only a pair of actors as cast. I wondered how they could pull it off.

A few minutes before five, both performers came on stage. They were James Percy and Delme Thomas. Delme started walking around the theater, shaking hands with the guests. Soon enough he gamely posed for selfies. The folks who were able to book tickets at Level 1 were lucky.

When the clock struck five, the show started. In a nutshell, both actors summarized the seven Harry Potter books in 70 minutes: playing all the main characters (and having several costume changes in between), showcasing essential props, a “fire-breathing dragon”, songs, and an “actual” Quidditch game. Amazing how both actors were able to remember their lines and deliver them in such a natural way – they connected! And they were also able to do some improv along the way. The show was hilarious, and I had several good (and loud) belly laughs.

Overall it was an enjoyable 70 plus minutes’ whirlwind of nostalgia and laughter. Well done to the production team, James and Del. If Daniel Clarkson ever writes a a parody for Game of Throne (Potted Thrones, perhaps?) – I’d definitely line up for that!