Potted Potter: Laugh out loud from start to finish

MANILA, Philippines - Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience, an exuberant parody of the Harry Potter book series that has become an international sensation on both West End (UK) and Off-Broadway (NY), is coming to Manila on Aug. 28 for a limited 10-show run until Sept. 2 at RCBC Plaza’s Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in Makati City.

And just like the books and films about the much-celebrated boy wizard that have made gazillions worldwide, every Harry Potter enthusiast shouldn’t miss this acclaimed comedy act hailed by both fans and critics — including The London Times, The New York Times and the Toronto Star — as the ultimate family-friendly idiocy.

On the eve of its staging in Manila, where Harry Potter has a huge following, The STAR was recently invited to one of Potted Potter’s sold-out performances at Little Shubert Theatre on West 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Surprisingly, the show exceeds our expectations in every possible way. It is fast-paced, with no intermission and loaded with hilarious situations and dialogues that 70 minutes of non-stop laughter — with audience participation in the beloved wizard sport quidditch — went by without us noticing it.

Created, written and performed by BBC’s children network’s hosts and two-time Laurence Olivier-nominated actors Daniel “Dan” Clarkson and Jefferson “Jeff” Turner, Potted Potter is described as a show “perfect for ages six to Dumbledore” (i.e. very old). True enough, Shubert Theatre was packed with the young crowd outnumbering the adults, but together they roared with laughter from beginning to end.

Potted Potter was born in 2005 as a five-minute street sketch that Dan and Jeff were hired to perform at a London bookshop for long lines of fans eagerly awaiting the release of the sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The show grew from there into a full-length stage production, until it began touring internationally in the succeeding years.

The comedy takes on the challenge of condensing and parodying all seven Harry books — from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — with a cast of just two extremely talented and charming actors mimicking the books’ dozens of characters with consistent energy level and enthusiasm.

Jeff, the Harry Potter expert, plays the boy wizard all throughout the act; while Dan — who is ignorant of everything Hogwarts-related and even confuses the HP series with The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia — channels all the other characters amazingly well. Among them are Harry’s best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Hogwarts headmaster Professor Dumbledore, despised teacher Severus Snape, Harry’s archenemy Lord Voldemort, Voldemort’s snake Nagini and Dobby the house elf. Even Dame Judi Dench makes an unauthorized appearance.

We didn’t get to read the novels, though we followed all eight films and adored every single one of them. And that’s more than enough for us to appreciate this satirical version well.

Interestingly, you don’t need to know all the characters or plot twists of J.K. Rowling’s writings to enjoy the in-jokes, even if most of the audience clearly does. So long as you don’t live in a cave and have at least heard about Harry Potter and his Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you’ll find yourself under the show’s funny spell.

Those who are loyal to the book swear that Dan and Jeff succeeded in covering all the plot points and lampooning them at such a quick pace without compromising their comedic value.

 But unlike stage plays or musicals that showcase lavish costumes and dazzling production designs, Potted Potter relies on cheap, ridiculous props — notably wigs, hats, beards, puppets and yes, a vacuum cleaner as a substitute to Harry’s Nimbus 2000 flying broomstick.

Dan has an explanation to this. He mentioned, repeatedly, at the early part of the show that a chunk of the production’s budget to secure more actors and sophisticated props was actually set aside for a fire-breathing dragon for Book 4’s (The Goblet of Fire) send-up. When that much-heralded dragon appeared on stage, it caused pandemonium.

Potted Potter is more than just a comedy show. It’s a heartfelt homage to one of this century’s most important literary works, as it offers parents and children something to talk and laugh about, and a great time to bond.

Jesse Briton (left) and Gary Trainor will star in the Manila production of Potted Potter

As an added treat, Dan and Jeff gave The STAR an exclusive Q&A for Potted Potter’s Philippine audience:

Who will star in the Manila production of Potted Potter?

“Two amazingly talented, funny guys from London named Jesse Briton and Gary Trainor. We would love to be in Manila but can’t be in two places at once!”

Will the Manila performers employ British accent?

“Yes, absolutely, just like the boy wizard himself they will have genuine authentic British accents. They sound great, we understand they’ve been working on them since birth!”

Harry Potter enthusiasts adore Potted Potter, but how about those who are not so familiar with the book or film series?

“Potted Potter is very much a show for everyone. It’s a great introduction to the series, and it sums everything up in just 70 minutes, which is quite a lot quicker than reading seven books or watching eight films!”

How many countries will be included in Potted Potter world tour aside from the US?

“Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and of course, the Philippines. We just need to find a venue in Antarctica and we have pretty much covered every continent!”

Do you make changes in the script or presentation to suit a particular audience? For instance, the Filipino audience?

“It is amazing how well the humor and jokes seem to work on a global scale. Obviously, we have to change a few local references but on the whole the core jokes and general comedy remains the same.”

Do you make changes in the script to update or improve the act?

“Yes, absolutely, the show is always changing and developing. That’s how it remains so fresh. We often find ourselves improvising on stage and thinking ‘well that was actually funnier than what we usually do’ so adding it in for future shows!”

Aside from the two main actors on stage, how many people or crew members are actually working for Potted Potter?

“We have an amazing team working with us, director, lighting designer, sound designer, set designer, music composer, stage manager, lighting operator, sound operator, the props guy, costume people… I’m hoping I haven’t missed anyone out! They’re the ones who keep everything running smoothly, while we get to run around and mess about on stage.”

We already know how Potted Potter came to life. But did you have to seek J.K. Rowling’s permission to do a parody of her monumental work?

“We were first asked to create the show by a London bookshop and it has grown from there. Some of J.K.’s team have seen the show, and they are being kind enough to allow us to continue bringing Potted Potter to the boy wizard’s loyal fans. I think that to them we’re just two more guys amongst the millions of fans out there.”

How long do you intend to stage Potted Potter and do you have another show (or parody) lined up after this?

“We are currently loving touring the world with the show. We haven’t left the UK with our shows much in the past, so this is all novel and exciting for us. We don’t know how long this will go on for at the moment. We currently have no more shows lined up, as all our time is being taken up by this one — but who knows what could be next. We’re open to ideas.”

The best and worst comments you’ve got so far from both fans and critics.

“The fans have been absolutely awesome, and really seem to have taken our show to their hearts. My favorite thing I have heard recently is that a Harry Potter group here in New York reviewed us and said that we made the kind of jokes that true fans would make. For us, that really validated what we’re doing. In terms of critics, we were very pleased that the New York Times loved the show and made us a ‘critics pick’ as that is the paper that makes or breaks you out here. As for the couple of bad ones we’ve had over the years, it is funny how they escape the memory so swiftly.”

Has Harry Potter lead star Daniel Radcliffe or other cast members of the movie seen the show?

“Daniel hasn’t been yet, but a few other cast members have seen it, our favorite being Warwick Davis (who plays Hogwarts Professor Flitwick, and later the goblin Griphook), as he was in Star Wars, too. A geek’s dream.”

What about J.K. Rowling herself, has she seen Potted Potter?

“There is a story, that has almost become myth: We first did the show back in 2006 in Scotland. As we were packing up after the final show, a box-office staff member came to us, looking upset and had to admit to us that she had turned a lady away at the door because we were sold-out. It turns out that the customer in question looked a lot like J.K. Rowling! So now there is one seat left off-sale, wherever we go, should J.K. turn up again.”

(Potted Potter in Manila is produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Production, Potted Productions and Concertus Manila. Call 891-9999, or contact Bambi Verzo at [email protected] [403-8678 or 0917-537-0539]. Tickets: Orchestra P3,068, Lodge P1,976, Balcony P988. Family packages available. Visit www.ticketworld.com.ph, www.facebook.com/TicketWorldManila, www.facebook.com/PottedPotterManila.)