Cape Hatteras School is the only place in North Carolina to catch the new Harry Potter play

There’s only one spot in North Carolina where Harry Potter fans can catch the brand-new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: High School Edition production, and it happens to be Hatteras Island.

Back in December of 2023, the Cape Hatteras Secondary School (CHSS) Theater Arts class entered a national contest to become the first school in the state to produce the play through a contest by Broadway Licensing Global. Competing against dozens of other schools, CHSS Drama Club Director Blake Taft received the call in January 2024 that Cape Hatteras had been selected for the honor.

“It’s a really big moment of pride for Dare County Schools, and especially for Hatteras Island, as we’re the first school selected in the state to put on the production,” said Taft. “There’s a lot of excitement going around about the show, too.”

The revitalized CHSS Drama Club and Theater Program was launched in 2022, and since then, the program has built a reputation for its twice-a-year productions which rival any college or community theater group in the country.

In 2023, the Drama Club was asked to do a special encore production of The Little Mermaid at the First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, after Superintendent Steve Basnight was amazed by the production quality, talent, and hard work that was on display.

The upcoming Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show, which will be performed for two weekends in November, is taking this evolution even further.

“I’ve said it every time, to the point that people make fun of me, but this is the biggest show we’ve ever done,” said Taft. “It’s a big deal to be the first school in the state to put on [this show] so we’re doing everything as thoroughly and exceptionally as possible.”

Roughly 50 students are actively involved out of the 300 students who attend CHSS, and the school is dotted with Harry Potter banners and billboards to mark the occasion.

New costumes, lighting effects, and technical advancements are being added to the show, and Coach Keith Durham’s carpentry students have spent weeks crafting massive sets and props. “This set is huge and it’s so intricate,” said Taft. “I’ve joked that we’ve bought enough wood to build a small home.”

There are also some new faces coming to the table, like famed illusionist Eddie Haggerty who is teaching the players how to perform the magical displays that are a part of the plot. “We’re focusing a lot on illusions and magic on stage, because quite literally, there’s a magic show in the show,” said Taft.

As for the cast, there are 33 students involved and they have been working on the show for months. Auditions were held in June, and rehearsals began in August before the school year even began.

“We got a lot of groundwork done early, and the kids understand the characters and the world they are creating,” said Taft. “They have really created an amazing show.”

As for the plot, most of the details are cloaked due to the prestige of being the first N.C. school to launch the play, but the production takes place 19 years after the seventh Harry Potter book, and focuses on the Hogwarts alumni’s children, who are now students at the famed school.

Written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, the original West End production premiered in 2016, receiving 11 Olivier Award nominations and winning nine, including Best New Play. The Broadway transfer opened at The Lyric Theater in 2019 and received 10 Tony Award nominations and won six, including Best Play.

The Broadway show will go on the road in 2025 – stopping at Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C., but CHSS’ upcoming performance is likely the only chance that North Carolinians can catch the play close to home.

It’s a huge milestone for the CHS Drama Club, and it marks yet another achievement for a small school that is steadily growing a world-class theater program.

“Because this is such a big deal, there has never been as much support throughout the school and the faculty as there has been for this show,” said Taft. “Really and truly, the whole school has been centered around this production. Everyone is very excited about this show and going above and beyond to embrace it… and we have some of the best talent and some of the best people involved in every way.”

“We’ve never done anything this exciting, and it’s a joy to watch it come to life,” he added. “It’s an amazing show in itself, and the kids do it beautifully. They always do a great performance, but I am just so impressed at how far they have come, and I think audiences are going to be blown away as well.”

How to catch the show:

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children and are currently for sale at the front office of CHSS, the United Bank in Buxton, Scotch Bonnet Fudge & Gifts in Frisco, and at The Froggy Dog Restaurant in Avon. Proceeds go to support the CHSS Drama Club.

Performances are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, November 9 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, November 10 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, November 15 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, November 16 at 7 p.m.