POTTED POTTER Plays Mesa Arts Center, Now thru 2/22

The off-Broadway hit Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff will bring an uproarious performance of all seven Harry Potter books in 70 minutes to Mesa Arts Center's Piper Theater, tonight, Feb. 18 through Feb. 22. Tickets are available at Mesa Arts Center's box office, at mesaartscenter.com or by calling 480-644-6500.

Written and created by former BBC Television hosts Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, the play takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing, or "potting," all seven Harry Potter books into 70 madcap minutes, aided only by multiple costume changes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic. The show also invites audiences to participate in a game of Quidditch, according to Clarkson and Turner's unique set of rules.

In 2005, Clarkson and Turner were commissioned to create a five-minute street show recapping the plot of the first five Potter books to perform for fans waiting in lines for the midnight release of the sixth book. The following year, Potted Potter was born as the street show expanded into an hour-long performance in which the first six books are parodied. Under the guidance of director Richard Hurst, the show toured the U.K. in 2007 incorporating the seventh book days after its release.

Whether you camped outside a bookstore awaiting the release of the next book or you don't know the difference between a Horcrux and a Hufflepuff, the comedy, magic and mayhem of Potted Potter makes for an entertaining and hilarious visit to the theater. The fast-paced show has made audiences across the world, aged six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed), roar with laughter.

In addition to being a critic's pick by the New York Times, New York Magazine and Time Out London, the show received the prestigious 2012 Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment & Family Show, playing to sold out houses worldwide.

Mesa Arts Center is located at One East Main Street in downtown Mesa.

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