West End Production ‘Harry Potter And The Cursed Child’ Casts a Black Actress as Hermione.

Noma Dumezweni

The casting for a highly-anticipated production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child in London’s famed West End was recently revealed, with 45-year-old Noma Dumezweni cast as Hermione. The play, which is written by Jack Thorne and based on a story by J.K. Rowling, takes place in the future and depicts an adult Harry Potter. Potter is now married with three children and working at the Ministry of Magic. His youngest son, Albus Severus Potter, is at the center of the action. Albus is striggling with living up to the family name.

In addition to Dumezweni’s casting, it was also announced that 36-year-old Jamie Parker will play potter Harry Potter and 40-year-old Paul Thornley will play Ron Weasley.

While the casting news is already garnering a range of reactions from excitement to confusion, Hermione Granger’s race was never explicitly spelled out in the books. Over the years, fans have reveled in racebent depictions of the character, with some even pointing out that Hermione “makes sense” as a person of color when you consider her backstory.

While Rowling has never explicitly commented on Hermione’s race, she generally appears to be in favor of the diverse depictions, as evidenced by her Twitter favorites.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is expected to premiere in London in the summer of 2016, with a full cast of approximately 30 actors. More casting news is expected in the near future.