Stepping into the Wizarding World is no small feat, and for Joshua Sullivan, taking on the role of Albus Potter places him at the emotional heart of one of the West End’s most celebrated productions.
Currently starring in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at London’s Palace Theatre, Joshua brings nuance, vulnerability and physical intensity to the role of Harry Potter’s conflicted son.
In this in-depth Q&A, he reflects on balancing fan expectations with personal interpretation, navigating the show’s epic scale, and discovering unexpected layers within Albus along the way. From backstage magic to meaningful audience connections, Sullivan offers an insightful glimpse into life inside the spellbinding phenomenon.
Stepping into a role like Albus Potter comes with a unique set of expectations. How do you navigate the balance between those audience expectations and your own interpretation of the character?
That’s a good question, there’s a large and loyal base of Harry Potter fans out there with high expectations, so I really wanted to honour Albus as a character but I was also keen to take ownership of the role and make my own choices with him.
My main focus was to give him enough depth and nuance through his complexity and flaws so that people could empathise with him and understand why he makes the decisions he makes. The one expectation from the audience that I did think about is his relationship with Scorpius because it’s such an important part of the play.
Myself and Kai Spackman, who plays Scorpius, always have plenty of fun giving the audience what they want to see whilst staying true to the story.
Albus’s journey in the play is fairly complex. Which moments do you find the most challenging – and the most rewarding – to perform each night?
The most challenging and rewarding scenes for me are the scenes with Harry and Albus together. Their complex relationship means that their scenes tend to be super emotionally charged and require a lot of focus to stay present in the moment. However, doing these scenes with David Ricardo-Pearce, who plays Harry, feels amazing because he’s just so brilliant to work with!
No show ever feels the same, there’s always new choices to be made and something new to play with each night. The pay-off from pushing ourselves to these emotional heights through this ‘game’ we have of constant discovery is always worth it, in particular the final scene.
A more physically challenging scene is when Scorpius and I get on the top of the Hogwarts Express, I am drenched in sweat afterwards.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is quite unique in its vast staging and physicality. How did your preparation and approach to the role change from rehearsal to stage?
The biggest change for me was adding costume changes into the mix, 100%. In the rehearsal space we mainly had props: wands, rehearsal cloaks, time turners, etc, but once we got into the theatre for tech week and started doing things in full costume with all the changes in between, it was different gravy.
A lot of the work in this show, with it being the technical beast that it is, happens backstage, and so the biggest change approach wise was to stay in the zone not just during the scenes but behind them as well.
Getting used to the pace of how quickly everything moved when doing it for real took a couple of weeks for sure, but the non-stop thrill of it was brilliant, and finally getting to put everything on and go under the lights took it to that next level.
What was your reaction to the play when you first experienced it as an audience member, and how has your appreciation changed now you are fully immersed in it night after night?
I actually saw the play when I was 12 with my dad when it first came out. For some reason – I have no idea why but I blame my dad – we only watched Part 2. I was quite confused and barely remember most of it, but my biggest takeaway then was the MAGIC! It was absolutely nuts! Especially at 12. Then, when I watched it again before starting rehearsals, I was wowed not only by the spectacle of it but by the humanity of the performances as well.
After being in it, what I’ve found to really appreciate is the sheer amount of work it takes from the crew behind the scenes to make everything look seamless; they are the ones who make the magic of this show possible and without them it simply wouldn’t happen.
There’s always one very specific moment leading up to the end of the show that I remember super vividly from when I was kid, I always have a major pinch me moment looking at it from onstage rather than the auditorium, but I can’t tell you what it is so you’ll just have to come and see it!
Do you have a particular favourite moment in the play that Albus is not involved in? Are there any moments you make a point of watching from the wings?
When the Dementors first fly in. I always watch that scene on the screen backstage, it’s just so cool. Also, the first Snape scene, I absolutely adore David Annen’s portrayal of him, I’ve seen it so many times I know his lines word for word now and I’m waiting for the day they’ll put me on as him.
How do you prepare yourself for the intensity of performing a two-part story?
Plenty of sleep, a good lunch and sheer willpower. I will say this though, as intense as a two part show is to do – and was to learn – I’ve found it to be a blessing in disguise. We get to carry out the story over the course of the day and in turn we form a stronger connection with the audience as we’re all far more immersed in the world of the play.
The audience are coming on this big two part journey with us and we’re all in for the ride. You also don’t have to reset your brain after doing a matinee and repeat the same show twice in one day which is a great way of keeping things fresh.
Since taking over the role, what have you discovered in Albus that perhaps wasn’t obvious at first? Any new character traits or hidden layers?
This may sound silly, but as the weeks went by one thing I really noticed is that I do a lot of sleeping acting as Albus, and so I saw this as something to play with and started to rationalise it for him – why would Albus sleep so much?
Turns out that oversleeping, just like under-sleeping, is a clear sign of stress, and with what Albus goes through over the course of the play both physically and mentally it makes complete sense for him to have this as a symptom. My ‘actor reasoning’ behind it is that subconsciously it’s a way for him to disassociate – he would rather be asleep and dream than to face his reality.
These moments where he is asleep are a gift for me on stage, it gives me a minute or two just to do nothing, slow down, catch my breath and re-centre myself.
Describe your perfect day off from performing? Are there any new favourite spots or hidden gems you’ve discovered around London? Any favourite restaurants?
I’ll have a gorgeous lie-in and then ideally I’ll shake myself awake with a good stretch and a run. I love running. After that, I’ll make a good brunch and have a chill. I’m actually currently reading the Harry Potter books; I’ve never read them before, I’ve only seen the films, and they’re great. I’m now on Goblet of Fire.
Then on a really ideal day I’ll meet up with a friend and grab a bite, or watch a film and do some sort of activity, but if not then I’ll do something on my own, and if I’m a good boy then I’ll do some meal prepping for the rest of the week. I’m a major foodie so I love finding new places to eat out or just eating in general, there’s this amazing bakery/cafe spot called Jolene that does the most fantastic sandwiches. I’ve also got a book of an opinionated food guide to London with a list of multiple restaurants that I’m yet to try.
In the evening I’ll wind down by reading a bit more of a book and watching some TV, I’ve been watching The Sopranos recently and it’s starting to get juicy – and maybe I’ll get a cheeky takeaway if I’m feeling naughty.
If you could have one magical power from the Wizarding World for a day, what would it be, and what’s the first thing you’d do with it?
Easy, I’d have a Firebolt and I’d fly around London as high and fast as I could!
Harry Potter fans are famously devoted. What’s the strangest or funniest fan interaction you’ve had since joining the production?
I haven’t had anything extreme happen to me as of yet, I always really enjoy interacting with fans after the show, it really warms my heart to hear how much people have enjoyed the story and the performances or how far a lot of people have travelled to come and see it.
You are right about their devotion though, very soon after the casting announcement in August, Kai and I were looking online and found that people had already found photos of us from social media and had made a collage of us together. Luckily we got their approval and they seemed to be very happy that we were the new torchbearers of the dynamic duo.
Aside from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, what’s your favourite show currently running in the West End?
I’m yet to see a few; Stranger Things, Hunger Games and Les Mis are next on my list, I’ve got a few friends in each of those shows so I really want to see them. My favourite one I’ve seen so far however is from a few years back when I watched For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy by Ryan Calais Cameron at the Apollo Theatre.
I watched it in my first year of drama school on a trip and sat with my friends. After it finished, the group of us who were sitting together held each other crying. It was such a beautiful show, the definition of an ensemble piece; these 6 characters telling stories of their emotional-rollercoaster-experiences through poetry, movement and music in the most organic way.
It felt exactly like what a piece of theatre should be – with its heightened physicalities and an energy that buzzed through the audience all while still maintaining a real and grounded sense of humanity. I think if everyone saw this play the world would be a better place.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues at the Palace Theatre. For tickets and further information visit: harrypottertheplay.com
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