Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (The M. Clifford MOD)

Parody

I thought I should drop a disclaimer here.

As a writer, I realize that everything I'm about to do could be seen as extremely insulting to another writer. Here I am, about to make my own version of someone else's work. I like to think that this really has nothing to do with the original writers and everything to do with a majority of fans who, like me, were imagining something different.

This script is not meant to be a replacement for the published version. And in fact, it can't be on many levels. Let me explain. 

In conjunction with my retrospective and analysis in NOT MY CANON!, this fan edit is a commentary on how the play could have been (perhaps should have been) written differently. As a criticism, this work is protected under the fair use defense. Unlike A VERY POTTER MUSICAL, it is a non-satirical parody and falls far short of the original material. While I imitate the particular style of the main playwright, this is done solely to communicate my point of view.

A substantial amount of the copyrighted script is used, but it is transformative in its ability to add something entirely new to the work and does not supplant the original. The heart of the copyrighted work is in the relationship between the main characters, Albus and Scorpius, their misadventures and the dynamics of their families. Whereas the heart of this fan edit is in the journey of Harry Potter as an adult, facing the trials of a past that refuses to remain buried. For that reason alone, it could not replace or supersede the original work. This means it would not compete or affect the potential market value. 

As well, it has been over a year since the publication date, meaning that if people wanted to buy HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, they would have done so already. I have significantly altered the script by adding new expression and meaning. Furthermore, the purpose and function of creating this new work was to inspire discussion and help other writers in the craft of storytelling and character development. The primary motive was never for commercial gain, but social benefit and entertainment.

My modifications to the play are based on the books, not the films or Pottermore. I did not attempt to attain permission. I did not appropriate a greater amount of the original work than was necessary to conjure up the object of the parody. In other words, I only took from the text what was necessary to tell my version, meaning that my MOD is, in no way, the whole book.

This is a representation of my critique. It is not the same content. The plot is vastly different. By the fourth act, it is practically unrecognizable. It is not a substitute for the appropriated original copyrighted work. I am transforming the story of the play through the eyes of my personal criticism. I'm not just giving a personal edit of the book, which could arguably be a case of infringement.

Any views presented here are the insights of a single fan who wanted nothing more than to play in the sandbox of a beloved world. No harm or negative impact on the intellectual property is intended.

I consider my work fanfiction — mostly my ideas, set in all of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. I have no right to claim otherwise. The world belongs to her, first and foremost. Without JKR, the stories we love so much would cease to exist. It is her legacy. Any reactions to my fanfiction are a hundred percent due to the inspiration that derived from the original work.

This MOD does not represent the stage play in any capacity.

I did this for fun. 

Attend the play. Support the franchise. 

Thank you.

- M. (The Boy Who Wrote)