West End's HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD Begins Previews Tonight!

The cloaking spell has been lifted! HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD has found its full West End company.

As rehearsals begin, Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender announced today that joining Jamie Parker (Harry), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione) and Paul Thornley (Ron) are...

Nicola Alexis, Helen Aluko, Jeremy Ang Jones, Rosemary Annabella, Annabel Baldwin, Jack Bennett, Paul Bentall, Anthony Boyle, Zoe Brough, Sam Clemmett, Morag Cross, Cristina Fray, Rudi Goodman, Claudia Grant, James Howard, Christiana Hutchings, Lowri James, Chris Jarman, Martin Johnston, Bili Keogh, Chipo Kureya, James Le Lacheur, Helena Lymbery, Barry McCarthy, Sandy McDade, Andrew McDonald, Tom Mackley, Adam McNamara, Poppy Miller, Tom Milligan, Jack North, Alex Price, Stuart Ramsay, Nuno Silva, Cherrelle Skeete, Esther Smith, Nathaniel Smith, Dylan Standen and Joshua Wyatt.

The 42-strong company (including seven children who will alternate two roles) will be playing a variety of characters.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is a new play by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany. It will receive its world premiere in London's West End at the Palace Theatre this summer and is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.

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.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings. The first preview performance will take place at the Palace Theatre on 7 June 2016 as scheduled. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is currently booking to 27 May 2017, with opening performances of Part One and Part Two on Saturday 30 July 2016.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD also confirms the dates for its special access performances. On 18 January 2017 the matinee (Part One) and evening performance (Part Two) will be captioned and on 4 February 2017 both the matinee (Part One) and evening performance (Part Two) will be audio described. These performances will go on sale on Monday 29 February 2016. To book access performances, call 0330 333 4410 (please note, there are no general ticket sales on this number) or email CursedChildAccess@nimaxtheatres.com, which are also contact details for patrons with physical access needs. Further special access performances will be confirmed at a later date.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD has movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, special effects by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Jamie Harrison, music supervision by Martin Lowe and casting by Julia Horan.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender's Playground Entertainment and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

For more, visit www.HarryPotterthePlay.com.

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan