Would I like Harry Potter if I have not read the books?

[BWAY Baby2]

I actually know next to nothing about Harry Potter- never read the books- or seen any of the movies- no interest. But as a lover of theater- I am interested in the show- wondering if I would be a able to catch on if I caught it- would I understand it? Would you recommend a non-fan to see it?  If so, I will really take that into consideration- I love shows and will make an effort if I will not feel left in the dark. Also, is it mainly for kids- I like all kinds of theater- but love drama and depth the most- and anything with suspense also always gets me. Don't like very superficial entertainment..

[jacobsnchz14]

You will understand most of it so long as you have some knowledge of previous characters from the series or (at least) the events leading up to this eighth story. The Showbills include timelines, histories, glossary, etc. This is definitely a show to see for anyone, but you'd enjoy it more if you had an understanding of the series prior to going in. Go to PlaybillVault.com and read the sections from the show's bill to get more info on what I mean.

[Notreallysilent 2]

The show is the 8th story of the series, so it does build upon that. But with that being said, i think you will still very much enjoy it. I heard people when I went telling how they knew next to nothing about HP and still feel in love with the show saying there’s nothing quite like it on stage. There are certain reveals and references that you might not get, but you will still enjoy the show very much. I think on stage the story works very well, and will be sure to give you a whole range of emotions. If you have time before seeing the show I think you should at least familiarize yourself wirh the series a bit just cuz it’ll be helpful. However, there are summaries of what you need to know in the playbill that you should read at the very least

[BWAY Baby2]

Thank you so much for that- i am going to see it- I almost took the plunge in London- but decided on The Ferryman instead- which was spectacular. Time for me to see what everybody is raving about- I know it will win big at the Tonys- and it won big at the Oliviers in London.

[CT2NYC]

Also, if you're a lover of theatre, I would recommend it based solely on the the stagecraft. It's an impressive production.

[ilysespieces]

I would suggest at least taking an hour and read the plot synopsis for the books on Wikipedia or Sparknotes. There are so many small references that are significant if you know the story and characters, but you wouldn't get if you are going in without any prior knowledge.

[JudyDenmark]

ilysespieces said: "I would suggest at least taking an hour and read the plot synopsis for the books on Wikipedia or Sparknotes. There are so many small references that are significant if you know the story and characters, but you wouldn't get if you are going in without any prior knowledge."

A lot happens and a lot of characters exist in the first seven Harry Potter books that this comes after... so if you don’t even want to go full-Wikipedia, you can go to the Playbill Vault and read the synopses and glossary they’ve included in the actual Playbill. They’re thorough enough summaries, but they’ve narrowed it down to the characters and plot points that are most relevant to the play so it’ll save you some time. Either way, if I were you I’d read it a couple of times ahead of time so you can digest it. I think trying to cram all of those character names and terms into the 15 minutes before the play would be overwhelming for someone who really is going in cold.