'Harry Potter' Play Cast Revealed, Black Actress to Play Hermione
The three actors set to portray the iconic trio of protagonists in the stage production "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" have been announced.
Actors Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley have been cast as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, respectively, in the upcoming London play.
The official announcement was made via Twitter:
The selection of Dumezweni, an Oliver Award-winning English actress of South African descent, drew particular attention from the "Potter" fandom. Some expressed disapproval that she was chosen to play Hermione, who was portrayed by a white actress in the movies, while others celebrated the casting or seemed unperturbed by it.
Series author J.K. Rowling, who also helped pen the play's script, expressed her approval for the cast on the Pottermore website.
"I'm so excited with the choice of casting for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I can't wait to see Jamie, Noma and Paul bring the adult Harry, Hermione and Ron to life on stage next summer," Rowling said.
She later took to Twitter, pointing out that Hermione's ethnicity was never specified in the books.
Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione
Previews for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will begin at the Palace Theater in London on June 7, 2016.
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