Photo Flash: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD Opening Gala Red Carpet

Following rave reviews earlier this week Sonia Friedman, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, announced that a further 250,000 tickets will be released for sale next week on Thursday 4 August 2016 at 11am BST, booking through to 10 December 2017. Tickets are priced from £15 per part and for every performance there will be 300 tickets at £20 or less per part.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage, began previews inJune 2016 in London's West End at the Palace Theatre.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne, directed byJohn Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music & arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe and casting by Julia Horan.

A second set of access performances has also been announced. On Wednesday 11 October 2017 both the matinee (Part One) and evening performance (Part Two) will be audio described and on Saturday 14 October 2017 the matinee (Part One) and evening performance (Part Two) will be captioned. Tickets for these performances will go on sale in March 2017. For patrons with physical access needs call 0330 333 4410 (please note, there are no general ticket sales on this number) or emailCursedChildAccess@nimaxtheatres.com

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings. On Thursdays there will be an evening performance of Part One and on Fridays an evening performance of Part Two. On those days tickets to each part can be bought together or separately. Tickets for Wednesday matinee and Wednesday evening performances can also be bought together or separately.

The regular performance schedule is as follows - Monday - no performance, Tuesday - no performance, Wednesday - 2pm Part One & 7.30pm Part Two, Thursday -7.30pm Part One, Friday - 7.30pm Part Two, Saturday - 2pm Part One & 7.30pm Part Two, Sunday - 1pm Part One & 6.30pm Part Two.

Every Friday, The Friday Forty takes place at 1pm when 40 tickets are released for every performance the following week for some of the very best seats in the theatre. Subsequent ticket releases take place each Friday for performances the following week. Priced at £40 (£20 per part) tickets will secure a seat for both Part One and Part Two on consecutive performances. Customers will be selected at random for the opportunity to buy tickets online and will be able to purchase a maximum of two tickets for both Part One and Part Two in one transaction. To ensure that as many people as possible have the chance to access these tickets, they will only be available to buy online. www.harrypottertheplay.com/ticket-information

Returned and other late-release tickets may also become available at short notice. These are not guaranteed, but any tickets that do become available will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis, online or in person at the Palace Theatre box office at full price.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

Check out photos of the opening gala carpet below: