The actors playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , the two-part play that will serve as the eighth entry in the series, have been cast, the production announced Monday.
According to Pottermore, British stage actors Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley will play the series’ middle-aged versions of Harry, Hermoine, and Ron, respectively.
Cursed Child, which opens in London next summer, will pick up where the novels and films left off; with a middle-aged Harry Potter working at the Ministry of Magic and his oldest son, Albus Potter, attending Hogwarts. According to Rowling, the play has been separated into two parts “due to the epic nature of the story.”
Parker (Harry) currently playing Sky Masterson in the West End production of Guys and Dolls, has also starred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, As You Like it and High Society. Those unfamiliar with the London theater might also recognize him from the film adaptation of The History Boys, which he played on stage and screen.
Thornley (Ron) recently starred in the film adaptation of London Road. He’s also starred in stage versions of The Three Musketeers, It’s A Wonderful Life, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kiss Me Kate, The Tempest, and Chorus of Disapproval.
Dumezweni, currently starring in the title role of Linda on the West End, has also starred in slew of British theater productions, including Carmen Disruption, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Henry V, Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, and Romeo And Juliet. She won an Olivier Award —The British equivalent of a Tony— in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress based on her turn as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun.
The casting announcement came with J.K. Rowling’s seal of approval.
“I’m so excited with the choice of casting for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” Rowling said. “I can’t wait to see Jamie, Noma and Paul bring the adult Harry, Hermione and Ron to life on stage next summer.”
More specifically, in preparation for potential online hand-wringing over the production’s decision to cast a black actress as Hermoine, Rowling pointed out on Twitter that she never specified the character’s skin tone.
The first part of Harry potter and the Cursed Child is set to enter previews at the Palace Theatre in London in June, 2016. Find out more about the production here.