Review: POTTED POTTER Quickly Swoops into The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Tx

Filing into the Paramount for POTTED POTTER, the passion and love for the wizarding world buzzed in the air. Proud members of Gryffindor and Slytherin alike, adorned themselves with scarves, robes and faintly drawn scars, showcasing their Potter items with pride. If there is any place to let your Potter flag fly, it's at POTTED POTTER this weekend. At the helm of this show are two very energetic and larger than life actors Scott Hoatson and Brendan Murphy. Their larger than life characters and interactions take on the task of compressing the entire Harry Potter series into 70 minutes. Having named the show, POTTED POTTER: An Unauthorized Harry Experience, the audience is prepared for the farce that is about to explode onstage. Travelling book by book, these kooky actors take on all the major plot points and the major characters within Rowling's magical world.

The biggest and longest joke in the show, is the poor production value. However making this assertion after enjoying the full production would be a mistake. As the gags grew more unpredictable, the level of laughter in the house went over the top. Giving Ron Weasley a Carrot Top wig and a "BRUV" style English accent, all the way to Dumbledore's imaginary beard and fantasy inspired cadence, the jokes kept coming and coming. The energy and relationship between Hoatson and Murphy was contagious for the audience. Watching them enjoy the jokes and jump around the stage, invited the audience to be apart of the jokes, as opposed to laughing from outside of the action. A highlight of this performance was the epic Quidditch match during the show. Without spoiling the action, two very lucky people in the audience are thrust onstage to help complete the match. This of course is only one section of an action packed 70 minutes trying to cover thousands of pages within the full Harry Potter series. With the books being presented similarly enough to recognize the format, but different enough to remain engaging, creators Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner display their talent for comedic writing. Created an improvisational style level of engagement from onlookers with a sustainable format is no easy feat. POTTER POTTER makes it look easy.

Being an all ages show, for all levels of Potter fans, POTTED POTTER delivers the laughs with both high and low humor. Giving Austin locals the opportunity to consume more Potter content is exactly what every fan wants. Grabbing some popcorn and heading into the house, is reminiscent of the book releases many longtime fans know all too well. This weekend see POTTED POTTER and let that Potter scarf fly behind you as you race to find your seat.

Potted Potter

The Unauthorized Harry Experience

A Parody by Dan and Jeff

Click the link below to buy tickets:

https://tickets.austintheatre.org

Photo Credit: Potted Productions

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