“Cursed Child” Trio Talks Fans, Wizardry, and Keeping Secrets

As the official opening night of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child approaches, the Telegraph interviews the play’s trio. In this wonderful interview, Jamie Parker (Harry Potter), Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley), and Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger) talk about their families, fans, and the absolute grandeur of the production itself.

When the preview performances of the play commenced in June, J.K. Rowling encouraged fans to refrain from posting spoilers on social media, so as to not ruin it for the those who haven’t watched the play yet, with the hashtag #KeepTheSecrets. Noma Dumezweni talks about this, saying,

The hashtag ‘KeeptheSecrets’ is a beautiful thing. […] When the lights go down we’re all in there together, and that’s what the keeping of secrets is. These people in their gut and their soul have travelled with Harry and Ron and Hermione and the other characters for years.

Jamie Parker adds to the statement, talking about Rowling and her faith in her fanbase.

J.K. Rowling is not a King John. […] She doesn’t assume disloyalty. She assumes the fan base want[s] to protect the secret. Spoilers are inevitable. If you’re looking for them, you’re going to find them. But it’s still overwhelmingly easy to turn up to the theater knowing nothing about it.

This production is easily one of the most anticipated West End plays of the year, and while the majority of the fanbase has been nothing but supportive, Jamie Parker discusses the pressure of living up to the hype.

That benign attention and pressure has been the wind at our backs. The audience [mostly aged 25 to 35] ha[s] encouraged us and willed us to succeed the whole way. Generally in the theater you spend some portion of the performance convincing people they have done the right thing in buying the ticket, that this is the play they want to watch. Never in our lives have we been able to hit the ground at full sprint like this.

When the initial casting announcements were made, there were mixed reactions to the fact that Noma would be portraying Hermione. The actress addresses this with a powerful statement.

You are looking at me. This is the skin colour I have. You choose to use the word ‘black’. I am just an actress playing Hermione.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opens on July 30. You can click here for more information about the play. Read the entire interview here. Are you excited for the big opening night? What do you think about #KeepingTheSecrets? Let us know in the comments below!