Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Cast revealed

Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been cast for the upcoming stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, British actors Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley, and Noma Dumezweni will be playing the leads for the upcoming play, which is called the “eighth story” in the Harry Potter saga.

The story will focus on older versions of the beloved characters as well as on the struggles of Harry’s son, Albus Severus. The Daily Mail reports that the play is expected to be the biggest theatrical event in London next year, and has already sold more than a quarter of a million tickets.

Harry Potter will be played by Jamie Parker, known for being one the original History Boys, and who has been a regular in the British theatre scene with plays such as Henry V, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Guys and Dolls. Onscreen, he has been involved in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and Valkyrie.

Paul Thornley, who will be playing Ron, has also done extensive work in stage and film including the National Theatre production of London Road. He has also appeared in the film version of Les Miserables as well as done voice work for Minions.

Noma Dumezweni won a Laurence Olivier Award (the highest honor in British theatre) for her performance in A Raisin in the Sun. She has also appeared in a number of West End productions. Onscreen, one might recognize her from playing UNIT officer Captain Erisa Magambo in Doctor Who. Her casting is a particularly noteworthy because Hermione was always portrayed in the films as white, although her ethnicity was never specified in the books. Casting a person of color as one of the leads will give the Harry Potter series some much needed diversity.

J.K. Rowling expressed her approval of Dumezweni’s casting on her Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/678888094339366914

The Cursed Child will expand on the epilogue of both the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and its film adaptation. Harry has become head of the Auror division of the Ministry of Magic, the same division Ron works at. Hermione works as a lawyer in the department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Show producer Sonia Friedman told the Daily Mail that the casting was a collective decision made by her alongside Rowling, writer Jack Thorne, director John Tiffany, and producer Colin Callender:

“We were all involved with all the key casting decisions.”

The play will have two parts. Audiences may choose to see both on the same day (during a matinee and evening performance) or on two consecutive evenings each week.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will officially open in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.