The Cursed Child’s greatest narrative strength lies in the vulnerability and emotional intelligence of Scorpius Malfoy.
(Dont fight it.
Its your destiny.)
Have you met him?
Dad, if you honestly think hes the son of Voldemort…
In a sea of the nostalgic, Scorpius is a fresh, new part of this canon.
Scorpius is incredibly nerdy.
My geekness is a-quivering.
and double wow totally unironically.
TheHarry Potteruniverse is one that relies on/ prioritizes wonder.
This same sense of wonder is integral to Scorpius character.
Scorpius as audience surrogate.
Scorpius Malfoy is the ultimate nerd wizard and isThe Cursed Childs audience surrogate characterin a big way.
Just like Harry Potter.And I got his son.
How crazily fortunate is that?
Scorpius is also the character who acts as the audience surrogate during the major cliffhanger of the play.
that Harry Potter is dead and Albus Potter was never born.
Like Scorpius, we desperately want to get back to it.
Anthony Boyle does this character justice.
Turns out Malfoy the Unanxious is a pretty good liar.
In Boyles adept hands, there is always more going on beneath Scorpius nervous, delighted surface.
When Scorpius blows up at Albus, Boyles performance is not vindictive so much as heartbroken.
He is angry, but he is even more disappointed.
When Scorpius breaks, it is unlike anything that has come before, but is still completely in-character… Maybe my mum wasnt dead.
But no, turns out, she was.
You just didnt make it better.
Because youre a terrible the most terrible friend.
Scorpius as an alternate model of masculinity.
Have we hugged before?
In the originalHarry Potterstories, The Golden Trio was not known for their emotional maturity or intelligence.
(InThe Cursed Child, she uses a hug-threat against Ron and Draco.)
Especially since Astoria has gone.
I cant even talk about how losing her has affected him.
As hard as I try, I cant reach him.
You cant talk to Albus.
I cant talk to Scorpius.
Thats what this is about.
Not about my son being evil.
Enter Scorpius Malfoy, a character so defined by emotional vulnerability.
Scorpius pain is so much of who he is.
The love story of Albus & Scorpius.
Find him, Scorpius.
You two you belong together.
At its most basic element,The Cursed Childis the story of the love between these two friends.
When the two meet, the play truly begins.
When the two are apart, the emotional angst is at a high point.
Exhibit A:
The staircases meet.
The two boys look at each other.
Lost and hopeful all at once.
And then ALBUS looks away and the moment is broken and with it, possibly, the friendship.
As he tells Snape: The world changes and we change with it.
I am better off in this world.
But the world is not better.
And I dont want that.
