Tom Felton's first show as Draco Malfoy on Broadway halted mid-way by crowd reaction

Tom Felton has returned to the role of Draco Malfoy 14 years on from the last time he played the character, making his stage debut last night - although his performance had to be halted midway through.

The Harry Potter star made his return as Malfoy as part of the sequel stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which follows the sons of Draco and Harry who become friends.

Written by the man behind Adolescence Jack Thorne, a sequel film was actually in the works, according to director Chris Columbus, in which the original cast was intended to be brought back, but he has since stated that due to political differences, he thinks this is now unlikely.

Felton made his return in the Broadway edition of the play in the United States, but that did not dampen the reaction from fans to the actor’s return in the role.

After Felton walked out as the older version of Draco, the play was halted midway through due to the rapturous crowd reaction, which was shared on Instagram.

This led to nearly 40 seconds of uninterrupted applause and cheering, with fans online getting emotional at the clip.

One fan commented on Instagram: “He stayed in character so well, but Tom was definitely grinning on the inside,” while another said: “THE SCREAM I JUST LET OUT LIKE I WAS IN THE CROWD!”

A third said: “I started crying immediately as I saw his reaction to the crowd cheering.”

Throughout the extended applause, the actor visibly fought to remain in character as the cold, arrogant Malfoy. You can watch below:

Felton was also pictured in tears during the show's curtain call, so it was clearly a major moment for him to return to the iconic character and receive such a rapturous response from fans.

His return to the cast has not been free from controversy, however, with the actor’s previous response to being asked about JK Rowling's views sparking a major backlash.

In June, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes star was asked by Variety for his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the author, who has been widely accused of transphobic comments, which she has denied.

Felton replied: “I can’t say it [impacts me], I’m not really that attuned to it. I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter.

“She’s responsible for that, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

This led to a major backlash on social media, with one viral response saying: “What a privileged straight white man take.”

Another said: “That people, is called privilege.”

Many, however, pointed to Daniel Radcliffe’s response to the controversy, saying in a statement via The Trevor Project in 2020: “Transgender women are women.

“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations, who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.

“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.

“I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”

LADbible Group has contacted Felton's representatives for comment.