Real owls removed from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Using real owls in front of a live audience sounds pretty awesome, but probably isn’t the most practical idea. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child learned this the hard way during its first performance.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the live owls have been removed from this stage production since one of them “escaped into the auditorium” after it “failed to return to the handler.”

“The production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently in its preview stage,” the play’s producers stated, “with the process designed to allow the creative team time to rehearse the changes or explore specific scenes further before the play’s official opening.”

Despite that one hiccup, the previews Harry Potter and the Cursed Child received extremely positive reactions from fans.