Live Owls Removed from Production of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

The London production of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD began previews at the Palace Theater this week, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, casting changes are already underway! The site reports that during Tuesday's performance, an owl which makes a brief flight during a scene, escaped into the theater rather than returning to its handler.

As a result of the incident, the show's producers have decided to remove the live animals from the production. In a statement they explain: "The production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently in its preview stage, with the process designed to allow the creative team time to rehearse changes or explore specific scenes further before the play's official opening. The owls that were associated with the production were expertly cared for by a team of certified trainers and an on-site specialist veterinary surgeon (Steve Smith, Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) who ensured the owls' welfare and enrichment needs were safeguarded at all times. This was of utmost importance to the production."

Following the announcement, PETA commended the decision, with director Mimi Bekhechi commenting, "Harry Potter can now join the ranks of innovative stage productions like War Horse, The Lion King and Running Wild, which prove that animals need not be exploited for the theater - and that the possibilities of prop design are limited only by our own creativity."

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 by John Tiffany. It will receive its world premiere in London's West End at the Palace Theatre this summer and is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.

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