Potter school play ban

JK Rowling has promised to visit the school

A school in Hampshire won't now be able to stage what would have been the first play based on the Harry Potter novels - even though they did the go-head from author JK Rowling.

North Foreland Lodge School in Hook had written to Ms Rowling asking if they could put on a Christmas play based on the best-selling novels.

And having received her initial agreement, pupils began rehearsals for staging an adaptation drawn from the Harry Potter stories.

But the approval for the school to put on the play has now been retracted "because of the precedent it would set to other schools and organisations keen to stage her works".

The Harry Potter novels, set in a fictional English boarding school, have achieved huge global sales, with a film adaptation planned, making the associated rights very valuable.

Consolation prize

Even though the Hampshire school play has now become a casualty of these fears of setting a legal precedent, the author has promised to visit the school, probably before Christmas.

Accepting this "consolation prize", a spokesperson for the school said that "we are looking forward to an exciting day of events with JK Rowling - a visit we would not have had otherwise".

A statement on behalf of the author said that Ms Rowling "sincerely regrets any disappointment to the school and those taking part in the planned production".

"To make amends, she will be visiting the school some time soon for a special day of events and readings, the proceeds of which will be donated by the school to the NSPCC."