Holy Hogwarts! A Potted Potter Review

Last night I attended Potted Potter – The Unauthorized Harry Experience with my teenage son and Portkey To Magic, the premiere adult Harry Potter fan group in the Tampa/St. Pete area.   We came decked in robes, scarves, school uniforms, and yes — wands!

I am such a huge Harry Potter fan, both books and movies.  I’ve read the books more times than I can count and my son has read the series as well.   It’s safe to say that while I was excited about seeing the show, I also had very high expectations — one might even say unreasonable.   Can they really capture the essence of all seven books in a comedic fashion in just 70 minutes?   They can and they did!   I laughed out loud, literally and so did my son. They nailed it!

Creators Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner were entertaining from beginning to end.  The simple and overtly silly costume changes to represent the characters were great.  Snape, Dumbledore, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were some of my favorites.  There was even an appearance by Dobby the house-elf and a fierce game of quidditch with the help of audience participation. The best part is that while it is a scripted show there were definitely moments of complete improvisation.  I love it when an actor can hardly keep their composure because they are laughing real unexpected laughs.    It just makes me laugh harder.   There were plenty of moments like that in last night’s opening show.   If you end up with seats really close to the front, there’s a ummmmm “surprise”.  I won’t ruin it for you.  You’ll just have to get to the show to find out!

Here’s what some of the hard-core Potterheads from Portkey had to say about the show:

Hilarious, Spontaneous, Monty Python-esque, Unforgettable, Seriously Funny, Laughs for days, Comedy Magic, Improv’s Finest Duo, Magically Hilarious, Interactive, Quirky!

Whether you are a Harry Potter book purist type of fan, a movie fan, or a true Muggle, this show will have you tickled to death.  It is family friendly so no worries if bringing along the kiddos. Warning: you may spit out your drink from uncontrollable burst of laughter so proceed with caution.

The show is only here for a short time before they apparate to their next location. You can catch them at the Straz Center Saturday 3/14 at 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 & 5 p.m.  Ticket information can be found on the Straz Center website.

**I gladly received free tickets from the Straz Center to attend the show in exchange for providing my honest review.  Full disclosure.**

Lauren G. , Outdoorsy Diva™

“Adventure is a lifestyle.”