Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley & Noma Dumezweni Set for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in the West End

Magical casting? Broadway alum Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley and Olivier winner Noma Dumezweni will take on the roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. The first installment of the play, which will run in repertory in two parts, is scheduled to begin previews on June 7, 2016. The official opening day, where both parts will be performed, is set for July 30 at the West End's Palace Theatre.

Parker appeared on Broadway in The History Boys; additional stage credits include Guys and Dolls, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Assassins, Proof and High Society. Thornley's theater credits include London Road, Chorus of Disapproval, The Miracle and Noises Off. Dumezweni won an Olivier for A Raisin In The Sun; she recently stepped in for Kim Cattrall in Linda.

The world premiere will be based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Penned by Thorne and directed by Tony winner Tiffany (Once), the production's plot description reads: "It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

The seven-volume Harry Potter series has sold more than 450 million copies and been translated into 77 languages. The books were adapted into eight movies starring Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winners Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, along with Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.