This was gonna be fun, all seven Harry Potter novels in 70 minutes by a two guys playing all the roles! Added plus? A musical angle!!! One I made up but still: if they mention Jarvis Cockerwas the singer and Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway were in the band (Jonny in makeup) as imaginary witchband The Weird Sisters in "The Goblet Of Fire" movie numero quattro, there was my hook! The Weird Sisters did an ass swivelling, "Do The Hippograff". Here they are:
But Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner sadly fail to mention the band at all. And with only 70 minutes to cover 300 characters, and spend 20 minutes on a game of Quidditch, it is hard to blame the game English duo. Indeed, the only thing you can blame them for is tailoring their show to preteens and my being miles away from the target demo.
The relentlessly silly and fun show dragged the hell out of me. The squealing, laughing kids, on the other hand, seemed not to mind that the silliness was a pointless take on the JK Rowling stories and the shame is, with just a light handed touch of parody, this would've crossed demo. The hook is Daniel Clarkson will be Harry Potter and Jefferson Turner will be all the other characters and the two will retell the stories, the antithesis is, Jefferson hasn't read the books.
This gives full vent to a lot of silliness with Jefferson portraying Voldermort by wearing devil horns, and Ron Weasley in an orange wig, and Daniel dressed as a Quaffle (the ball in the broomstick battle game) in the highlight of the evening. Jefferson brings on stage twqo children from the audience on stage as seekers and its is highly amusing.
Unfortunately, except for that, unless you have children with you, it is a useless evening. Stupid muggles, why did nobody warn me???
Grade (for me): C
For you plus pre-teen kids: A