Gather your wands, robes, painted on scars and broomsticks!
Harry Potter: The Exhibition has reached Sydney and the props, costumes are on display at the Powerhouse museum. The museum has housed many special exhibits in the past for large blockbuster movies such Stars Wars, The Lord of the Rings. But so many children would love the new HP exhibit.
The exhibition houses many wands, costumes, building furnishings and paintings and many other props that were seen in the 8 movies and presented in such a believable fashion that you almost feel like you have walked into Hogwarts and the magical world of Harry Potter itself.
The magic was certainly alive as I waited in line in anticipation to be admitted into the exhibition. the use of allocated entry time helps control the crowd flow for the museum, so the event can be seen and enjoyed by all, which was a very good idea. Attending the exhibit during school holidays and on a weekend would definitely guarantee a large crowd and the people turned up in flocks – totally unsurprising seeing as the HP series was one of the most popular things to occur in the modern age. Liked by children and adults alike, I saw an equal number of families, couples, kids, old and young attend, which is proof that the book and film series have impacted on so many people.
It was an extremely exciting build up upon entering the exhibit, which I will leave as a secret, because that was the most magical part of it, in my opinion. As you walk through looking at the props and marvelling at the design and work of the birth of a new world, you realise there are some things are certainly tricked by the magic of cinema. For example the beds that they used looked extremely small, perhaps single mattresses or maybe just set decorating. But it didnt look like they could hold boys from the age of 11 all the way to 17.
Seeing the props makes you realise the size of the actors as well. Hermione/ Emma W looked a lot smaller than what I thought, and seeing her casual clothes and also the size from their first uniforms to their Yule Ball gowns made me realise how much they had grown as well.
The experience can be enhanced with an audio tour for a small additional fee. While insightful and interesting I felt that there were still questions that could have been answered or facts that could have been further explained. However, without it I don’t think I would not have held a larger interest in it. I was constantly looking out for the audio numbers in the exhibit to punch into my little hand held speaker remote.
There are also a few interactive things to do , such a pulling squealing Mandrakes out of their pots and scoring a goal in Quidditch. While this helped keep the interest of restless children I felt that it could have perhaps housed more room for interaction. The museum itself is famed for interaction and science and education. But, the excitement and awe was really held for the presentation of the exhbit itself. The flow of the exhibition was easy and moved seamlessly into one section and another from the schools sports, to the Forbidden Forest and also the Dark Forces.
As you move through you come to one very special place at the very end. Notably: The Gift Shop. Styled like Diagon Alley and bursting with eager fans wanting to get their hands on a piece of Harry Potter exhibition memories. Scarves, ties in the school House colours, wands, books, toys and clothes filled the shop. And I overheard a sales person note that all Gryffindor ties had sold out, much to the dismay of all who heard. I managed to snare a piece of something I wanted and had my eye on from the Official Warner Bros Store. – A Film cell book mark, relying on the word from the sales person, she was surprised I had managed to get my hands on one, so I am very glad and very lucky I found this one sticking out of place on a top shelf!
The personal highlight was definitely Hermione’s gown at the Yule Ball, definitely the prettiest and most lovely dress I have ever seen – especially for Hermione! It was a highly enjoyable and highly commended exhibition for all witches and wizards and muggles alike I suppose! Be sure to grab a ticket because if you are a know it all diehard fan such as myself you will not want to miss this!
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