A bookshelf, a desk, a toy train, a wardrobe, two toy warthogs, a painting of a tropical “Forbidden Forest,” and a dash of comedic flair are apparently all you need to recreate seven Harry Potter books in 70 minutes. At least they suffice for Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner who, at breakneck speed, and with many laughs along the way, take on the gargantuan task of retelling J.K. Rowling’s stories sans CGI.
On stage, the British duo are a classic comedy double act. Jeff is the serious, focused Harry Potter expert, and the foil to Dan, who is silly, comic, and anything but a Harry Potter expert. Given the speed with which the comedians move through the books, their humour relies less on typical British wordsmithing and more on physical and situational comedy. The best moments of the show are by far those where the duo gets to interact with the audience and play off of their reactions.
The absolute chaos and madness of the show make for a great laugh. Highlights include Hagrid with a Scottish accent à la Mike Myers from Shrek, the vacuum cleaner Nimbus 2000, Voldemort doing card tricks, and an audience Quidditch match set to the dramatic music of “O Fortuna.”
Dan and Jeff also ask some serious and pressing questions about the Harry Potter universe. If Dumbledore was one of the greatest wizards that ever lived, then why on earth did he become a teacher? Touché. That’s a question that will leave you pondering. The finale of the show is not to be missed, which involves Voldemort crooning his feelings and then going into a disco number.
In parts, Potted Potter doesn’t flow quite smoothly and sometimes the jokes don’t always land, but overall, it is a great family show and a must for Harry Potter fans longing to fill the void left in their hearts by the juggernaut franchise. Playing at the Panasonic Theatre until March 25, Dan and Jeff put on a show that makes them laugh almost as much as it does the audience. If you are going to milk a behemoth cash cow, you might as well have a laugh doing it.
