Delve into the world of wand-making and wizarding duels when the popular Wand Week returns to Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter this month.

Discover first-hand how duelling scenes were developed and the incredible amount of planning that went into each wand movement.

You’ll also get the chance to duel with a Death Eater after learning wand battle choreography in an interactive experience created by expert Paul Harris, who composed the battle scene between Dumbledore and Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Paul is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the world’s only wand combat choreographer!

Take a wander down Diagon Alley and you’ll witness a special effects demonstration created by BAFTA-winning special effects supervisor John Richardson. By pointing a wand, you’ll be able to cast a spell that will make the sign about Potage’s Cauldron Shop bang and flash – magic!

Original moulds, concept art and wand designs will be displayed in the attraction and members of head prop maker Pierre Bohanna’s team will showcase some of the techniques they used to hand carve wands for the film series.

The iconic duelling table, as seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, will also be on display in the Great Hall set.

  • Wand Week is at Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Aerodrome Way, Leavesden from Friday, May 23 to Monday, June 2. Details: wbstudiotour.co.uk

Spellbinding secrets

  • In the first and second films, the wands looked quite plain. This was drastically changed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when the wands were given distinctive shapes and carvings, reflecting the owners’ personalities. For example, the wand of Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) is inlaid with silver slug trails and has a slug-shaped handle.
  • Prop makers designed a series of wand holsters for the Death Eaters that they could attach around their waists for easy access. The Death Eaters’ wands were also more showy than the other characters’ to match their extravagant masks, which were made of filigreed silver.
  • More than 3,000 wands were produced for the Harry Potter film series, including the elaborate wand that was created for Professor Dumbledore, before the prop-making team discovered its importance as the Elder Wand.