Sonia Friedman discusses Cursed Child inspiration

Sonia Friedman, the producer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has spoken about how her own childhood influenced the storyline of the hit play, based on the series of books by JK Rowling.

The award winning Jewish producer went on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, and discussed the lack of a father figure in her early years. Leonard Friedman, her father, who was a Russian violinist, left her mother before she was born.

Ms Friedman, whose sister, Maria Friedman, is an actress and director, said that she and her co-producer “were very drawn to the notion of Harry as a dad given that he hadn't had parents of his own, and Jo [Rowling] loved that idea.

“I will never understand what it would be like to have a dad, and so I'm always looking for stories that might help me understand."