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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been captivating preview audiences in London over the past month, but those of us who haven’t been able to make it yet have (mostly) been kept in the dark regarding the play’s plot and – more importantly – the atmosphere of the production.

Set Designer Christine Jones revealed the inspiration behind one of the sets on the Cursed Child Facebook page – it sounds like the quote she uses implies that Platform 9 3/4 in King’s Cross Station will be a significant part of the play, and that time will have a significant part to play in the story of Cursed Child (which seems fitting, seeing as Harry Potter “ended” on the very same platform in ‘Nineteen Years Later’):

‘Few buildings are vast enough to hold the sound of time… there was a superb fitness in the fact that the one which held it better than all others should be a railroad station.’

The page has also been posting photos of props from the set (this one is what looks like an application letter for the Ministry of Magic, where Harry works):

And this one is a deliciously realistic photo of some Hogwarts Express Liquorice Wands:

Some who have seen the play are struggling not to spoil secrets in comments, so be wary of this, and for those of you who know what this quote signifies in the play – remember to #KeeptheSecrets!

Since the announcement of the casting choices for the trio in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, there has been much discussion surrounding the casting of Noma Dumezweni as Hermione. Many fans have welcomed Dumezweni with open arms, but some have been very vocal in their disappointment with the choice to cast a woman of color in a role depicted in the films as white.

Said Dumezweni of some of the things people have been posting about her on Twitter:

“My name is being tagged into stuff that’s not nice, that’s not nice.”

She adds:

“It’s ignorance. It drives me crazy. It’s a limitation. Because this is absolutely a different form.”

Michael Gambon and other Potter alumni have voiced their support for Dumezweni, as has J.K. Rowling herself, who reminded readers on Twitter that Hermione’s race had never been defined in the books.

Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione ? https://t.co/5fKX4InjTH

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 21, 2015

Read more at DigitalSpy.

Palace Theatre may already look dressed to the nines in Cursed Child decor, but, after reservations on the part of Westminster Council, plans have been approved for the Cursed Child Theatre to hang Hogwarts’ house banners out front.

The Stage reports that Westminster Council were concerned about house banners compromising the appearance of the area:

“As previously reported by The Stage, the venue submitted an application to Westminster City Council earlier this year to hang four banners on the outside of the theatre in the house colours of Hogwarts, the school attended by boy wizard Harry Potter. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently in previews at the Palace Theatre.

The plans have been approved, despite reservations from the council.

In a report, the council said the banners would be “a discordant and highly visible feature on an otherwise uncluttered facade”.

It added: “It is considered these large-scale advertisement banners would have a detrimental impact on visual amenity, dominating the site and the street scene, and causing harm to the Grade II-listed building and to the other heritage assets”.

But it continued that the “director considers the proposals are in line with the policies and therefore consent should be granted”.”

Read the full report here.

Take a look at the house banners in Cursed Child here, and look forward to seeing them outside the theatre very soon!

Throughout the books, Hermione was described to have big, bushy hair, large front teeth, and brown eyes. Those seem to be the only specific descriptions of her physical looks that we see. Her skin color was never specified. So, for those who read the books, she appeared differently in every mind.

For 10 years, Hermione was portrayed by Emma Watson. But now a new era of the Harry Potter world has arisen. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child comes new actors playing characters we know and love. Unfortunately, some people are a little upset that they don’t all look the same.

Last year, the casting of Noma Dumezweni as our beloved Hermione Granger was announced. Most fans accepted the actresses skin colour, knowing full well that the characters skin was never specified. But there was that small group that fought back against the idea of a black Hermione.

Wednesday night, at the Oxford Union, Michael Gambon had some words for the critics of the decision to cast a black actress. Responding to a student who was curious to hear his opinion, he stated:

“It doesn’t matter what colour you are, does it? It doesn’t make a difference if you’re a black actress or a white actress. You’d forget it in five minutes, wouldn’t you? When the tabs go up on a play, and the person who’s in it starts talking, you soon forget about it. It doesn’t matter what colour they are, for God’s sake.”

He reacted very similarly to the notion that Idris Elba might take over the role of 007 once  Daniel Craig’s tenure has ended. “He’d be brilliant, wouldn’t he?” Gambon said of Elba. “If he goes and plays James Bond, he plays James Bond. That’s it, boom, stop.”

“It’s nonsense, isn’t it?” Expressed Gambon. “It’s so annoying. It’s a load of b****cks.”

Gambon also spoke about his role as Dumbledore – though he said he took on the position purely for the money, he’s always seemed to seemed to have a soft spot for the character:

“They rang me up and I jumped at it, I didn’t have to think at all,” he said of the first day on set as Dumbledore. “I turned up at the studio and did it – that’s all. 

“In my first entrance as Dumbledore I had to walk up some stairs and I ran up them. The director said you can’t run up them, and I said I want to run up them. And that was that.”

He also spoke about J.K. Rowling telling him that Dumbledore was in fact a gay character, and sang her praises:

“I think they made it up as they went along,” he chuckled. “She [J.K. Rowling] told me one day that Dumbledore was gay. She’d just decided that day. We’d been on for about three years!

“I started doing this on the set,” he grinned, playing with his hair and fluttering his eyelashes. “The director came running over to me and asked me what I was doing.

“I said that the women who wrote this play told me I was gay. He didn’t believe me, but she was there, and he went and asked her about it.

I didn’t play ‘gay’, I just played who I am.” 

“I think she’s brilliant … the stuff she writes is really clever.”

Read more on Michael Gambon at the Oxford Union here.

Throughout the books, Hermione was described to have big, bushy hair, large front teeth, and brown eyes. Those seem to be the only specific descriptions of her physical looks that we see. Her skin color was never specified. So, for those who read the books, she appeared differently in every mind.

For 10 years, Hermione was portrayed by Emma Watson. But now a new era of the Harry Potter world has arisen. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child comes new actors playing characters we know and love. Unfortunately, some people are a little upset that they don’t all look the same.

Last year, the casting of Noma Dumezweni as our beloved Hermione Granger was announced. Most fans accepted the actresses skin colour, knowing full well that the characters skin was never specified. But there was that small group that fought back against the idea of a black Hermione.

Wednesday night, at the Oxford Union, Michael Gambon had some words for the critics of the decision to cast a black actress. Responding to a student who was curious to hear his opinion, he stated:

“It doesn’t matter what colour you are, does it? It doesn’t make a difference if you’re a black actress or a white actress. You’d forget it in five minutes, wouldn’t you? When the tabs go up on a play, and the person who’s in it starts talking, you soon forget about it. It doesn’t matter what colour they are, for God’s sake.”

He reacted very similarly to the notion that Idris Elba might take over the role of 007 once  Daniel Craig’s tenure has ended. “He’d be brilliant, wouldn’t he?” Gambon said of Elba. “If he goes and plays James Bond, he plays James Bond. That’s it, boom, stop.”

“It’s nonsense, isn’t it?” Expressed Gambon. “It’s so annoying. It’s a load of b****cks.”

Gambon also spoke about his role as Dumbledore – though he said he took on the position purely for the money, he’s always seemed to seemed to have a soft spot for the character:

“They rang me up and I jumped at it, I didn’t have to think at all,” he said of the first day on set as Dumbledore. “I turned up at the studio and did it – that’s all. 

“In my first entrance as Dumbledore I had to walk up some stairs and I ran up them. The director said you can’t run up them, and I said I want to run up them. And that was that.”

He also spoke about J.K. Rowling telling him that Dumbledore was in fact a gay character, and sang her praises:

“I think they made it up as they went along,” he chuckled. “She [J.K. Rowling] told me one day that Dumbledore was gay. She’d just decided that day. We’d been on for about three years!

“I started doing this on the set,” he grinned, playing with his hair and fluttering his eyelashes. “The director came running over to me and asked me what I was doing.

“I said that the women who wrote this play told me I was gay. He didn’t believe me, but she was there, and he went and asked her about it.

I didn’t play ‘gay’, I just played who I am.” 

“I think she’s brilliant … the stuff she writes is really clever.”

Read more on Michael Gambon at the Oxford Union here.

LeakyCon recently posted an exciting – yet mysteriously vague – letter to Minerva McGonagall to their Facebook page. The letter came from Ana Rodriguez – Director of Magical Gatherings and Celebrations at the US Department of International Magical Cooperation all the way in New York City:

The letter hints at an exciting event being planned, and LeakyCon posted this letter with the caption “Magical things are happening…”:

“I personally reviewed your recent proposal and am happy to inform you on behalf of MACUSA and the Quahog Administration, that we are excited to work with Hogwarts and the British Ministry of Magic to make this exciting and historic event a reality.

I have already alerted my counterpart at the California DOIMC office as well as our embedded contact within the Consulate General in Los Angeles to begin coordinating the logistics. Representatives from Ilvermorny are also excited to help in whatever way possible.

…

We are thrilled to have a hand in making this celebration a truly international affair”

The exciting integration of new knowledge of North American magical institutions – thanks to Fantastic Beasts – and the incorporation of our beloved Professor McGonagall (maybe hinting at Cursed Child links?). Who knows! We’re glad to hear that Harry’s legacy is still going strong in the wizarding world!

LeakyCon is also now looking for programming proposals for presentations on magical subjects:

“We are looking for a select number of knowledgeable witches and wizards to present on their favorite magical topics at LeakyCon 2016. If you have a burning desire to share your ideas and research on the Harry Potter universe, this is the place to tell us about it so we can help you make it happen!”

What do you think it all means? Find out more and buy tickets at the LeakyCon website, here!

Pottermore has posted a quick video of annotations that J.K. Rowling made on the cast photo of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Pottermore further speculates what the annotations could mean. Some of the comments are directly related to the casting of Cursed Child.

“Loving Draco and Scorpius– They actually look related!”

Rowling is impressed at how much Anthony Boyle (Scorpius) and Alex Price (Draco) look like father and son. Rowling also adds some peace of mind for those that had their doubts about Ron and Hermione’s relationship.

“Still Going Strong”

She places these words directly above Ron and Hermione, connecting them. She also points out that Harry looks ‘burdened’. Even after all of these years Harry can’t seem to find peace?

“Harry looking suitably burdened”

Finally, one of the most ominous annotations from Rowling is about what isn’t pictured in this photo.

“The absences say as much as the presences”

In true J.K. Rowling fashion when she gives her fans a little hint she also creates hundreds of new questions. Who or what is missing from the photo? The epilogue of Deathly Hallows mentioned more children than are featured in this cast photo, could there be something to this statement?  I guess we will all soon find out what Rowling means. Some will find out via the stage show while others eagerly anticipate the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child‘s script. To read all of Rowling’s comments visit Pottermore.

Recently, BBC News interviewed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show-makers J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne on the making of the play.

Interviewer Will Gompertz starts by asking about the process of three people co-writing one play.  After many discussions between the three creators, the story of Cursed Child was fleshed out and ready for writing. John Tiffany explains:

‘We didn’t start writing the play – or Jack didn’t – until we’d agreed on what that story was.’

Jack Thorne then started on writing the script that is soon to be published in (script)book form.

‘Jack produced an amazing script’ Jo Rowling says in reply to his ‘very self-depricating’ remarks about attempting to write a script.

Rowling then comments on her concerns prior to the play being released to the public:

‘I don’t think I realised how anxious I was … I mean, this is putting me back ten years. Potter attracted a lot of madness, and a lot of hype, and going back to that place, I realised on Wednesday night how anxious that had made me, because I knew how much expectation there would be, and I didn’t want to let fans down.’

Gompertz then asks if there’s a sense that Jo doesn’t ‘own’ Potter anymore. After so many fan creations, so much theorising about her stories and characters, this is a good question to ask. The level of expectation put on J.K. Rowling to deliver the stories that we want as fans could make it seem like the stories are almost ‘owned’ by the fanbase, but Rowling thinks otherwise:

‘I wouldn’t go that far, Will’ Rowling shoots back, whilst Tiffany and Thorne chuckle knowingly.

‘Because, you know, that would be – and I’m deadly serious – that would be to disavow what that world was to me.

Seventeen years that world was mine, and for seven of those years it was entirely mine – not a living soul knew anything about it. I can’t just uproot that from all those personal experiences that inform those stories and say, “I’m throwing that away now”, and that’s how that would feel.’

Jack Thorne chips in, saying:

‘As a fan, you want it to be her world, not our world … it’s her world that we’ve been allowed to play in.’

Will Gompertz then remarks to Director John Tiffany that ‘Jack and Jo had it easy’ in comparison, as Tiffany’s job is to ‘make their imagination a reality on stage’. Tiffany responds:

‘It’s not all bells and whistles, it’s not all glitter guns and cannons. Actually, a lot of it is very very simple magic and illusion, and stage craft … there’s not really a huge amount that could go wrong’

After provoking what was almost a whimper of fear from Jo Rowling in that last comment, Tiffany explains his rather laid-back attitude:

‘We’ve done it very very carefully, so it’s not kind of a wing and a prayer.’

Gompertz asks Rowling whether she could imagine ever creating another world which had as profound an impact as the Potter world:

‘No’ She replies, ‘and nor would I want to. I feel as though I did that, and I love it. It takes up so much mental space, it takes up a lot of space in the world now. I think I would be on a fool’s errand to try and do that again’.

Be sure to watch the full interview at the BBC here. This interview followed  The Guardian’s interview with the trio prior to Cursed Child‘s opening this week (here), and the New York Times’ coverage of a roundtable discussion with the cast and crew of Cursed Child here.

Yesterday, the official Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Twitter account tweeted this photo of Ron (Paul Thornley), Draco (Alex Price), and Harry (Jamie Parker) in anticipation of the first public preview of Part 2 of the play.

The first public preview of Part Two of #HarryPotterPlay #CursedChild is about to begin. #KeepTheSecrets pic.twitter.com/7i00Aw1n2C

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) June 9, 2016

The unlikely trio stands together in full wizarding attire, and while we aren’t sure what brings them together or the cause for their serious expressions in this photo, it only makes us more excited to see the play and script book!

Catch another (spoiler-free) glimpse of the play in our report on an earlier photo shared of Rose Granger-Weasley onstage.

As Leaky stated on all of its social media, we will be honoring J.K. Rowling and the cast and crew of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s wishes to “Keep the Secrets.” We will not be reporting on any content of Cursed Child, but we will share any small details that Pottermore–J.K. Rowling’s website–deems acceptable to share. No spoilers.

Just as the curtains were rising for the first preview of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child earlier this week, Pottermore shared a photo of Rose Weasley standing in the middle of the Great Hall, during what appeared to be a sorting ceremony. Read more of Leaky’s report on that here.

In that photo, the world was presented with a new set of House banners! Pottermore tweeted today, revealing a clearer picture of these banners as concept art.

Every house banner incorporates its mascot into the initial of its house, rather than using what became known as “Harry Potter font.” As expressed before, multiple times, the play is a continuation of the books, not the movies (movie canon differs from book canon). Because of this, it is not surprising the banners differ from the movies, but could potentially fulfill the description of house banners in the books.

However, the banners do not seem to support official house colors; unless, differing from both book and movie canon, the house colors are now different. Because book canon and movie canon differ, many fans know that Ravenclaw’s house colors are different in the films than in the books. Ravenclaw’s colors are blue and bronze by book canon, and blue and silver by movie canon. In the movies, the shades of the other house colors don’t stay true to for either. If these new banners are representing house colors, Gryffindor and Slytherin’s colors are the only set of colors that have remained mostly true to both book and movie canon.

Get a closer look at the new Hogwarts house banners from #HarryPotterPlay #CursedChild! #KeepTheSecrets pic.twitter.com/kwDREUQhio

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) June 8, 2016

Last week, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany–both co-writers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child alongside J.K. Rowling–sat down with producers, actors, and other major forces in the play’s production for a roundtable discussion. The participants talked about the story’s conception, the decision to tell the story in play format, and–naturally–the difficulty of avoiding spoilers.

Colin Callender, one of the Cursed Child producers, says of the play’s journey:

“None of us, all quite experienced in the theater world, have ever experienced anything of this magnitude and intensity before.”

On playing such a beloved character, actress Noma Dumezweni (Hermione) says:

“The weight of expectation is huge. But for me that pressure has been outweighed by getting text messages from mums I know saying how huge it is for their mixed-race daughters that I am playing Hermione. Ultimately it’s a theater piece, I’m a theater actor and doing a job as best I can.”

Public previews of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began yesterday, June 7, at the Palace Theatre in London. The play officially opens on June 30.

Read the full interview at NY Times.

Many readers of The Leaky Cauldron have been asking whether or not print copies of  the Cursed Child scriptbook will be available in languages other than English, and available in bookstores outside of the U.K, U.S and Canada.

Unfortunately, neither of these will be the case, meaning that fans from countries outside the U.S and U.K will have to buy copies from Little, Brown in the U.K and Scholastic in the U.S / Canada and pay shipping. However, Pottermore confirmed that international readers will be able to buy a copy digitally from midnight, June 30th following preview performances of the play:

“The Special Rehearsal Edition script will be available to buy around the world, digitally by Pottermore and in print in collaboration with Little, Brown in the UK and Scholastic in the US and Canada.”

Pottermore also gave more information on the process behind turning the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script into a Definitive Edition (which is set for release in 2017):

“The Special Rehearsal Edition of the script will be available for a limited time, and gives readers the earliest opportunity to read the eighth story – just after the play has opened at London’s Palace Theatre. In this edition, readers will have access to the script used by the cast and creative team during rehearsals and previews.

During the preview period, in front of a live audience, the script will be fine-tuned by the creative team. It’s a chance to make tweaks outside the rehearsal room and based on the reactions of a real audience.

A later, Definitive Edition of the script is set for release in early 2017. This final and complete edition will replace the Special Rehearsal Edition in bookshops, both in print and digitally.

The Definitive Edition will contain the perfected, definitive script with final stage directions and annotations, as seen on opening night and beyond. This edition will also include extra content, such as writing from the play’s creative team.”

Hopefully this news isn’t too disappointing for readers outside of the U.K, U.S and Canada – we’re hoping print editions of the scriptbook will open up to international markets in 2017 along with the Definitive Edition script. Finger’s crossed!

Read more at Pottermore here.

Several hours ago, Part 1 of the first public preview of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began at the Palace Theatre in London.

The first public preview of #HarryPotterPlay #CursedChild has just started. Welcome to Hogwarts! #KeepTheSecrets pic.twitter.com/cnDYxkUC7m

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) June 7, 2016

 
The photo above–tweeted by the official Cursed Child twitter account–shares a photo of Rose Granger-Weasley in full Hogwarts attire, standing in what appears to be the Great Hall with the four House banners hanging overhead. Her peers stand behind her in four groups (one for each House, we wonder?), and since Rose is starting her first year at Hogwarts with her cousin, Albus Potter, this just might be a sneak peek of her Sorting!

The first public preview of Part 2 of Cursed Child will be shown on Thursday, June 9, and the official opening is on June 30.

 
We’re all anxiously awaiting our chance to soak up more of the Wizarding World, and we’ll continue to share updates as we get them, keeping in mind J.K. Rowling’s request to “Keep the Secrets”.

J.K. Rowling has a message for the fans of Harry Potter, which she posted to her twitter this morning. In that video she asks that all of Harry’s fans stay spoiler free after seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2, so that as many people as possible will be able to enjoy the magic Rowling, Tiffany and Throne have in store for us fans.

Potter fans have always had each other’s backs. Today I’m asking you to #KeepTheSecrets of #CursedChild https://t.co/0Vbl3zwN6b

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2016

Cursed Child being a play is a new media for the Potter fans, so as the limited numbers trickle in to see Cursed Child the rest of us are left to just wait our turns. So please do not spoil it for all of us.

This is especially important to someone like me who joined the Harry craze a few books in, so I know the travesty of finding out about a certain ministry workers family ties (still just a little bitter). So again, let’s all ban together and try to make this magic last forever. Cursed Child is starting preview shows now!

Check Out this amazing Interview with The Creators of Cursed child John Tiffany, J.K. Rowling, and Jack Thorne.

Cursed Child is set to start preview performances tomorrow, and in the midst of J.K. Rowling, director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne preparing for their opening day, The Guardian spoke to them about their two years of collaboration on the project.

Commenting on the ‘warmth and ease’ of the relationship between the three creators, writer Sarah Crompton says that the ‘friendship and ease between them bodes well for the collaboration that has sustained them for more than two years’.

We are reminded that this is the only interview the trio will give before the opening of the play. Jo recently tweeted a photo of a badge saying ‘#KeepTheSecrets’, which is the running message of the play’s promotion. In a recent backstage glimpse of the play (which you can watch here), the door to the rehearsals room bore a sign saying ‘Keep Calm and Keep the Secrets’.

Jo also tweeted a video today, asking all seeing the preview performances and beyond to keep the secrets of the play under wraps, so not to ruin the story for those unable to see the play or those attending slightly later dates:

Potter fans have always had each other’s backs. Today I’m asking you to #KeepTheSecrets of #CursedChildhttps://t.co/0Vbl3zwN6b

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2016

On keeping the secrets:

“I’ve been through this many times,” says Rowling. “And I hope we get there without any major spoilers, purely because people will have an amazing experience if they don’t know what’s coming.

“Generally speaking, Harry Potter fans are a community, they have each other’s backs, and they want to have that mystery and the sense of surprise. So we’re hopeful. But it won’t be the absolute end of the world. We’re not going to be throwing tantrums about it but we hope for the audience’s sake that we can get there.”

Two weeks ago, The Guardian’s Sarah Crompton met with the trio, and Rowling understandably hadn’t been sleeping much:

“I’ve been awake since 4am … We were in the theatre last night and I saw a scene that’s very close to my heart, in costume, on the set And it was quite overwhelming” 

Director John Tiffany is clearly no stranger to Jo’s amazement with the play:

“Jo has been around for a lot of the process,” Tiffany chips in. “A lot,” she agrees. “But last night was the first time I had been into the theatre and seen everything so fully realised. And it was… extraordinary.”

“We did a fist bump, didn’t we?” says Tiffany, smiling.

“Well, I tried to do a fist bump with you,” Rowling shoots back. “And you tried to shake it. So that wasn’t our coolest moment. But in fairness it was dark…” “And I am not known for my first bumps,” says the director. “Nor am I, really,” adds Rowling. “I just felt the moment demanded one.”

Talking about their nerves, Jo – the 4am riser – feels she could take a lot from Tiffany’s relenting composure. He says that his unshaken nerves were unexpected:

“If you had asked me a year ago how I’d be feeling today, I think I’d probably have said I would be crumbling biscuits in the corner. But I feel remarkably sane.”

“You are so calm,” Rowling interjects. “I am less calm.”

The magic started in a meeting between J.K. Rowling and the play’s now-producer, Sonia Friedman – after speculating the idea and bringing in Tiffany and Thorne, Rowling was completely on board:

“You can probably imagine I have been asked to do something else with Harry Potter five times a week ever since the series ended. Sonia just wanted to explore a theatrical production and I knew her by reputation obviously and thought I would really like to meet her and hear what she had to say.”

On Tiffany and Thorne’s involvement:

“That’s the reason this happened because I thought I will never have the opportunity to work with such great people again,”

Of course, Jack Thorne is a self-proclaimed ‘total Potterhead':

“I still consider myself a Potterhead and I hope the Potterheads don’t hate me so much after this that I am never allowed to be one again.”

Yet Tiffany was unaware of this when he invited Jack to become writer of the play:

“He asked me when we met at the tube station on the way to The South Bank Show awards,” remembers Thorne. “So glamorous,” laughs Tiffany. “And so appropriate, the tube station,” adds Rowling mysteriously. Thorne continues: “And he said, ‘What do you think about it?’ And I went a bit nuts in the street. Only because I’m so incredibly shy, nobody would have seen or realised I was going nuts.”

In an amazing turn of events, Jo Rowling and John Tiffany revealed that they actually met informally years before. Jo was a single mother, writing The Philosopher’s Stone in Edinburgh Cafes, completely unaware of the phenomenon it would become:

One of her favourite haunts was the Traverse theatre, where Tiffany was assistant director. “It was one of the first places in Edinburgh you could have a cappuccino,” remembers Tiffany. “I was there meeting actors and writers a lot, and I remember seeing a woman writing, with a pram at her side. We got to saying hello and I remember once Jo said, ‘Do you mind if I’m here…’”

“Because I hadn’t bought a lot of coffee,” she explains, before Tiffany adds: “Then a year or so later I realised who it had been. And she didn’t come to the Traverse any more.”

Jo says her and Jack Thorne are similar in many ways, making the bond between the three a lot easier to work with. They’re serious about the play, yet seemingly lighthearted, calm and honest in their approach to working with one another. Rowling seems to have completely entrusted her story to the two creators:

“Jack and I are similar in many ways,” says Rowling. “We’re both, notwithstanding how chirpy we are being right now, quite introverted people who are very happy alone in a room, and there are many parallels in our working practices and I felt like he was one of my tribe.”

“And we bonded over the haircut,” he adds, before asking her permission to tell the following story. “We were talking about the way people don’t realise quite how horrible age 10 is. That was the moment I realised it was possible I could never have friends. Other people would have friends and I never would. And I was talking about buying a coat: I bought the same coat as Matt Cox, who was a considerably cooler kid in the year and I had to wear it to school every day because my mum had bought it for me and it was the only coat I was going to get. He wore it a lot better and everyone thought I was copying him.”

He still shudders at the memory. Then Rowling adds, quickly: “And I had exactly the same experience. I had the same feather cut at 10 as Susan Hook. I went into school and everyone thought you are trying to be Susan Hook, you pathetic human being. We had exactly the same experience of being deeply uncool. And that’s what haunts you.”

Tiffany and Thorne understand the power of stories to impact people in complex and important ways, and clearly know the role that Harry Potter has had on so many people’s lives:

“When you’re growing up it’s very easy to feel lonely and insecure,” says Tiffany. “And what Jo managed to capture, I think, was a world which made those people feel less lonely.”

Rowling explains why she took on the project, and trusted Jack with the writing:

“I never set out to build a big community, but I don’t think there is a writer alive who wouldn’t want to have that many people react to their work,” she says. “That’s what happened. People came inside the world with me.

This is why [Jack] is the right man for the job, because he just gets it. That’s pitch perfect. The big reason why people loved Potter was that it felt like it could be. That sense that there is more to the world. Just on the other side. Even within touching distance. There’s more. It is the promise of another world and it doesn’t have to be a magical world but to a lonely child or an insecure person or anyone who feels different or isolated, the idea of having a place where you do belong is everything.”

“From the moment he produced the first outline, I thought bingo, that’s it.

On whether she ever considered writing the play herself:

“I am not so arrogant that I think when you’ve got an absolutely top-class playwright offering to do it that I’m going to say, ‘Well, I’ve never done it before but I’ll do it.’ It’s a question of knowing the limits of your own competence. I was reasonably involved in the Potter scripts. I’m more familiar with that world. I felt a degree of confidence writing a screenplay but I had supreme confidence that Jack was going to write the play that I was going to love and he has. So you can’t ask fairer than that.”

Later she comments on stage writing being a ‘revelation’ to her:

“It is a totally new language to me,” she says. “So watching Jack and what he can do on the page and his understanding on what will then translate on to stage has been such a revelation to me. I know novels and I know movies but this is a different world entirely. Jack has access to a paintbox that I don’t have because I don’t understand the medium.”

Thorne smiles. “To be honest, ever since I wrote Let the Right One In, I’d write something like, ‘They run through a forest and then are strung up on a tree and brutally murdered’. I’d just write it on a page and make John do it. And he does” 

The world of Harry Potter seemed silent to us for a long time – the play has returned the magic to us all in a new form, and Fantastic Beasts is introducing us to new elements in the world of magic that we’ve not encountered before. Rowling says that the stories never left her, even whilst she worked on The Casual Vacancy and Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike novels:

“It was 17 years and just because I’ve stopped on the page doesn’t mean my imagination stopped,” she says. “It’s like running a very long race. You can’t just stop dead at the finishing line. I had some material and some ideas and themes, and we three [she nods at Tiffany and Thorne] made a story.”

“But I carry that world around in my head all the time,” she acknowledges. “I am never going to hate that world. I love that world. But there are other worlds I want to live in too. To be perfectly honest, I just feel if I enjoy it, I’ll do it – and if I don’t, I won’t.”

“I always said never say never, and the reason I said that was truthfully that I did have this residue in my head in both directions – in Fantastic Beasts…, which is going back, and in this play, which is going forwards. So I still had this material in my head.

“It’s been amazing because there are roots over there and shoots over here, so it is keeping it very consistent and doing it all at the same time. We are sharing a lot between the worlds.”

The medium chosen for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child intrigued us all – when we heard there would be an ‘eighth story’ many expected another book, some thought it would be a film – many were confused when the scriptbook was announced – it’s a method of storytelling that’s new to us all, but theatre has captured the imaginations of creators for centuries, so perhaps it is only fitting that one of the greatest stories of this century moves to the stage. Rowling explains the reasoning behind the process:

“I kept being asked whether I would make a musical and I don’t like musicals,” she says, grimacing. “Theatre, on the other hand, I love. I find it a seductive world – there is nothing like seeing an actor perform live. But I had never had anyone approach me or propose anything that excited me like this.

“I think that, as a theatrical experience, as a play, it will be unlike anything people have seen before. And once people have had this theatrical experience, they will understand why this was the perfect medium for the story.”

The play is an art form unlike any other, yet in this day and age it seems to be neglected – Rowling herself admits to never having considered its appeal before. Jack Thorne and John Tiffany are trying to bring it back with J.K. Rowling, in style:

“The phrase John hates more than any other is ‘I should go to the theatre more often’ because it contains the idea that going to the theatre is an obligation.” “Like eating your vegetables,” Rowling chips in. “Or going to church,” adds Tiffany. “And that,” continues Thorne, as if in three-part harmony, “is the death of theatre. This is an opportunity, I guess, to get people who don’t feel they should go to the theatre to go to the theatre, and then discover that they want to go to the theatre.”

John Tiffany and Jack Thorne also unpack the reasoning behind Cursed Child being in two parts (as two separate plays):

“You would have had no space for character,” says Thorne. “It would just have been plot, plot, plot.”

Tiffany explains: ”Where film can eat up story, theatre needs space and breath. Once we thought of doing it in two parts, it felt naughty to begin with, but we felt we didn’t want to short change the story. We were very nervous up until the moment when the audience started to buy tickets, and the response was overwhelmingly fantastic, because the fear was that people would think we were just exploiting this. But it wasn’t that in any way, shape or form.” Rowling adds: “We had space to do what we were talking about doing.”

We’ve all seen the unsettling underbelly of Potter fandom rear its head in response to the casting of the Potter trio in Cursed Child – the casting of Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in particular sparked an enraged response.

Some claimed that this casting was ‘against canon’, it was against the films, it was against the book covers, it was against descriptions of Hermione (as having ‘very brown’ skin in Chapter 4 of Prisoner of Azkaban, with her infamous brown ‘bushy’ hair), it was – apparently – just wrong. 

Perhaps these remarks did not come from a place of racism, or at least were not intended to come from such shallow places. Perhaps any move away from Emma Watson portraying Hermione would have been met with anger, perhaps people can’t understand that one medium of storytelling does not define another.

Whatever the case, J.K. Rowling commented on the response with the truth: Noma plays Hermione Granger well and – in the author’s opinion – fits the character perfectly:

“With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot,” she says. “But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job. When John told me he’d cast her, I said, ‘Oh, that’s fabulous’ because I’d seen her in a workshop and she was fabulous.”

Unknown to Tiffany, when he made his casting call, there had in fact been a “black Hermione” theory around in Potterworld for years. Yet the strength of reaction surprised him. “I am not as Twitter familiar as Jo and Jack, so I hadn’t encountered its dark side, which is just awful,” he says. “The anonymity breeds horrors so after a while I stopped reading it. But what shocked me was the way people couldn’t visualise a non-white person as the hero of a story. It’s therefore brilliant that this has happened.”

Rowling settles the issue with a firm affirmation of Hermione’s state as a fictional character who can be interpreted in a variety of manners:

 “I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ – that is, lost colour from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”

The play will be ‘as purely as theatrical as possible’, according to Tiffany:

“Not a bombastic spectacle that makes people sit back,” he says. “It’s hopefully something that pulls you in. It is absurdly ambitious theatrically but it’s also about the audience and the imagination, which is exactly what a novelist does as well.”

Read the full Guardian interview here!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 start previewing tomorrow, June 7th, with the official opening of the play taking place on July 30th (alongside the release of the Cursed Child special rehearsal edition scriptbook). Forty low-cost tickets for performances will be released each week every Friday at 1pm – find out more at the play’s website here!

Furthermore, if you’re interested in attending Cursed Child Midnight book release parties on July 30th, find out more about GeekyCon’s exclusive event in Orlando here, and Barnes & Noble’s nationwide events here!

Inquirer.net recently sat down to talk to Daniel Radcliffe about Cursed Child, magic and his acting career thus far. Dan recently starred in Swiss Army Man and Victor Frankenstein, and will soon be appearing as Walter Mabry in Now You See Me 2.

Mabry is a wealthy, magical entrepreneur who has captured the Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan) – you can catch glimpses of his character in the movie’s trailer (below).

On whether or not he’ll be likely to see Cursed Child:

“I don’t know if I would. Because I feel like me going to see that show, it might become more about the fact that I was there seeing that show that night than anything else.”

At which point the Inquirer hinted to him that he might just be able to sneak into the show, asking if he was keeping up with the show:

“Do you really think that’s possible (for me to sneak in) (laughs)? No, I haven’t been keeping tabs. But I know Jamie Parker is playing me (Harry), which I’m very happy about, because he’s a great actor.”

Dan also said that he doesn’t see Harry Potter co-star Rupert Grint very much anymore (he’s working on his own TV comedy at the moment!), but did say that he saw him “at the beginning of the year, or the end of last year”.

On working with Michael Caine:

“Growing up in England… he is someone that you grow up being aware of as an institution. He’s everything that I want to be when I grow up as an actor.

When I first started working on “Potter,” there were crew members who have known Michael and had worked with him on various projects. To listen to them talk about Michael and the respect that they have for him, it made me, as a young actor, go, “God, I want to do that.”

When you work with him, he is utterly professional and also really good fun. He enjoys his job so much. I do love my job and I am thinking, if you aren’t having fun at work, you shouldn’t be there.

But watching Michael—I guess he is in his 80s by now—act at four o’clock in the morning in cold and dark England and still be there…

So many other actors would have been complaining and moaning. Michael is unflappable, and he’s still having a good time, telling stories, joking and laughing. He knows everyone’s name. It was a pleasure to be around him, to watch him work and to work with him. It was extraordinary.

Whenever I need a bit of a boost, I just go on Michael Caine’s IMDb page.”

On Swiss Army Man and its many complexities:

“I am not staying away from [romantic-comedy] roles. I think it’s more that it’s actually a lot harder to write something happy than it is to write something dark. There’s a lot of different versions of darkness that are very interesting. It’s harder to make happiness interesting onscreen for whatever reason.

“Swiss Army Man” sounds like a dark character because I’m playing a dead guy. The film does have its dark moments, but it’s got a lot of levity and joy. For me, that film is about joy. It isn’t a traditional rom-com, but it’s definitely got some lightness to it.”

Read the full interview over at Inquirer.net here, which includes more about his character in Now You See Me 2. Watch the latest trailer for the film below!

If you’re not in Florida for GeekyCon’s exclusive Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two scriptbook release party, you may be in luck!

Barnes & Noble will be throwing a whole month of parties in the lead up to the midnight release of the Cursed Child Rehearsal Edition scriptbook (June 30th), beginning June 24th.

Business Wire reports:

“Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced that it will host a month-long celebration in advance of the publication of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. The events will kick off on Friday, June 24, at 7 PM when all stores nationwide will feature activities designed to give participants of all ages the opportunity to relive the magic of Harry Potter, and enter the Barnes & Noble exclusive Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints Sweepstakes for a chance to win a set of 7 Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints, available exclusively at Barnes & Noble, up until the July 30 Countdown to Midnight Party. On Saturday, July 30, starting at 8PM, customers can visit their local Barnes & Noble for the fan-favorite Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the midnight release of the epic eighth story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. At the Countdown to Midnight Party, two customers from each store who entered the sweepstakes will be chosen at random. Then, on Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to share their perspectives on the new book and participate in additional Harry Potter-themed events, with activities and giveaways.”

Customers can enter sweepstakes (once entry per store, per day) up to the midnight release party, where two winners per store will be chosen at random. If you fancy entering the sweepstakes, just ask a local Barnes & Noble bookseller to find out more details, Official Rules and information on events and activities taking place at nearby stores:

“At the June 24 event, Barnes & Noble stores across the country will set up a coloring station where participants will have the opportunity to color various Harry Potter-themed materials including the 4 House Crests (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin) and a special Owl Post Postcard exclusive to Barnes & Noble that they can send to friends to invite them to the Countdown to Midnight Party. In addition to trivia and activities for Harry Potter fans to enjoy, many giveaways will also be available at the event while supplies last, including Harry Potter vintage posters, bookmarks and more. Stores will also host a robust Harry Potter trivia event. In addition, the Barnes & Noble Café will be offering special Harry Potter-themed treats including The Cheesecake Factory Bakery’s^® fun and delicious Chocolate Witchout Cupcake (a Barnes & Noble Café exclusive), The Decorated Cookie Company’s delightful Witch Hat and Cauldron Decorated Shortbread Cookies, and the Passion Potion Iced Tea, a bewitching shaken blend of brewed passion tea, raspberry and vanilla flavors.

All stores nationwide will also host a Wrebbit 3D™ Harry Potter™ event, in celebration of Harry Potter’s arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which Harry Potter fans of all ages are invited to participate in the assembly of Wrebbit 3D™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower, an 875-piece 3D puzzle. In addition, Barnes & Noble will put on display a fully-built, first-to-market Wrebbit 3D™ Hogwarts Express™ 3D puzzle in all stores for customers to marvel in and enjoy.”

Business Wire also report on the midnight release schedules:

“Harry Potter is back, and on Saturday, July 30, at 8PM, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will host a special Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two, a special rehearsal edition script book, which goes on sale July 31 at midnight. The party will feature a special Muggle Wall where customers can share their favorite memories of Harry Potter as well as several amazing giveaways. On Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to discuss the new book and participate in special Harry Potter-themed events and activities, as a follow-up to the Countdown to Midnight Party the night before.”

It’s set to be an exciting month, coinciding with preview performances of Cursed Child in London!

Find out more and pre-order the Cursed Child scriptbook over at the Barnes & Noble website (here), and read the full Business Wire article here.

If you can make it to Florida and you want to join a night of old-school Potter book release festivities for only $20 (which includes a ball, costume contents, sorting, quid ditch, wizard chess, special guest appearances and more), find out more about GeekyCon’s midnight release party here!

As promised Pottermore delivers their final cast photos for the upcoming play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Tuesday we got a sneak peek at the Potter Clan, Wednesday we met the Granger-Weasley crew, and today we get our first look at the Malfoys.

Alex Price will play the role of Draco and his son Scorpius will be played by Anthony Boyle.

As Scorpius Malfoy, Anthony looks the spitting image of his stage dad. J.K. Rowling said: ‘I love Draco and Scorpius – they actually look related!’

Anthony Boyle is a long time stage actor. He is excited to play the role of Scorpius. He knew that it was really happening the day he died his hair blonde.

‘It was such a game changer,’ Anthony said of his new look. ‘As soon as I saw it, it was like, “Okay, I’m playing Scorpius Malfoy – this is real now.” That was such a big moment.’

Scorpius will be a big hit amongst the female students at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling added,

‘I’ve got a feeling Scorpius is going to do nothing to turn girls off the Malfoy men.’

Alex Price has been in several notable television shows in the UK. He came to the character of Draco wanting to make it his own while still honoring Rowling and her characters. In discussing how he is bringing Draco to the stage he stated,

‘Jack Thorne’s script. Start right there,’ Alex said. ‘And there’s obviously a massive history of books to draw on. You could tie yourself in knots worrying about it. But our first job is to serve this play and J.K. Rowling’s characters as best we can.’

As previews begin soon for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Pottermore has revealed multiple cast members this week. Visit Pottermore to see how these actors are handling the pressure of bringing to life this play.

Over the past week, Pottermore have been revealing portraits of characters in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Yesterday, they gave an exclusive look behind the scenes of the photoshoot, giving us a chance to hear from the actors portrayed.

Jamie Parker (who will be portraying Harry in the play) introduces the shoot – a ‘first glimpse of Harry, and the rest of the gang’. He later says that the nearing opening day for the play is ‘immeasurably exciting’.

The shoot really gives a feel for our new generation of Potter characters. Rose Weasley (Cherelle Skeete) looks shrewdly at the camera, giving off the same daring, intelligent vibes as her mother, Hermione (Noma Dumezweni). Draco Malfoy (Alex Price) and his son Scorpius (Anthony Boyle) are seen looking intensely at the camera for their shoot, whilst Albus and Ginny are constantly smiling on set.

Watch the video below to see more, and take a look at the portraits of the Potter family, the Weasleys and the Malfoys.

Yesterday Leaky reported on the first cast photos from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, revealing a family portrait of Harry, Ginny, and Albus. Today Pottermore has provided us with more cast photos, this time of the Granger-Weasley Family.

Ron (Paul Thornley), Hermione (Noma Dumezweni), and Rose (Cherelle Skeete).

‘It’s 19 years later when the play begins,’ Paul explained. ‘Ron is married to Hermione Granger and they’re now the Granger-Weasleys. Our magnificent daughter Rose Granger-Weasley is about to start at Hogwarts, which is obviously a big day for everyone.’

Paul Thornley will be playing the role of Ron. Rowling reveals that Ron hasn’t changed much since his days at Hogwarts.

 ‘Ron in his forties isn’t very different from Ron in his teens, except that his feet hurt a bit more. Paul’s so funny and brilliant in the role.’

As previously reported Noma Dumezweni will play the role of Hermione. Rowling is excited about the casting of Noma as Hermione and claims she understands her character “inside out”.

Cherrelle Skeete has been cast in the role of Rose Granger-Weasley. While Rowling didn’t reveal much about Rose’s character she provided some interesting details.

 ‘Rose is like her mother, but more secure, more grounded. She was born to wizards and knows her place in the world. Cherrelle plays her perfectly: bossy but deeply loveable.’ 

These cast photos have given us a glimpse at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child visit Pottermore to learn more about what the actors have to say about their characters and the play itself. Also, Pottermore will be revealing more cast photos tomorrow. It is exciting to see this play come to life!

We know you have all been waiting with anticipation for the return of your favorite podcasters…and it’s time! There is a new Pottercast available on iTunes. Episode #257 talks about the upcoming fan convention unlike any other–GeekyCon.

Pottercast and Leaky will take part in hosting GeekyCon and its Harry Potter events, including the Cursed Child midnight release party!

Also wondering why PotterCast disappears for long periods of time? Have no fear, the Potter podcasters talk about their plans to get Pottercast back on track again!

Thanks to our amazing listeners for sticking with us!

(If the newest Podcast isn’t showing up in the Feed, refresh your iTunes several times. Go to “My Podcasts,” “Pottercast,” “Feed,” and refresh. For those of you who haven’t subscribed to PotterCast it may take a couple of days for the newest episode to appear on the iTunes page. Sorry for any inconvenience.)

With only a week until the previews begin, Pottermore confirmed the casting of Ginny and Albus in the upcoming production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child–and included a few sneak peeks at the actors (including our new Harry) in-character in new cast photos!

This Potter family portrait introduces us to Cursed Child’s Ginny (Poppy Miller), alongside Albus (Sam Clemmett) and Harry (Jamie Parker).

Of our new Harry, actor Jamie Parker, J.K. Rowling says:

“He simply is Harry now. There’s a kind of relief in watching him, he gets it so right.”

Poppy Miller is Cursed Child‘s Ginny, and portrays a “kind and cool” mother to the Potter clan, according to J.K. Rowling.

Sam Clemmett is seen in his Hogwarts robes in this character portrait as Albus Severus Potter. Clemmett had the idea that the robes are hand-me-downs from his older brother, James, and we think the imagery works well.

Of Clemmett’s casting, J.K. Rowling (mysteriously) said:

“There’s much I could say about Sam-as-Albus, but we’d be into spoiler territory so quickly I’ll just say we couldn’t have cast better.”

Pottermore promises to reveal more Cursed Child character portraits later this week, and we can’t wait!

Visit Pottermore to read more and to see what Parker, Miller, and Clemmett had to say about taking on their newest roles.

This morning, one Potter fan on Twitter had a very important question for J.K. Rowling: ‘Will the Cursed Child make me cry?’

J.K. Rowling tweeted back pronto, and now it’s official: if you don’t cry, they haven’t done their job right!

With preview performances starting next month, we’ll be able to test Jo’s statements and confirm whether the play is a tear-jerker. We have absolutely no doubts that we’ll be sobbing through the entire show (and scriptbook)!

Take a look behind the scenes with J.K. Rowling here!

GeekyCon 2016 has just announced that it is creating a large-scale, old-school, Harry Potter release party to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The book comes out on July 31, 2016, the last day of the convention, which means that it will be the site of one of the biggest midnight parties in the country.

And this party is just one of all the cool and amazing events and activities scheduled for the weekend long festivity that is GeekyCon. As GeekyCon was once a Harry Potter-only convention and is planned by the same crew that brought us LeakyCon, it is backed by and attended by some of the biggest Harry Potter fans on the planet. As many of the people who run GeekyCon are still the biggest Potterheads, and have attended more than their fair share of Harry Potter book parties from 2004-2007, they decided to recreate the Harry Potter Book Midnight Release Party experience!

The party will be hosted by classic Potter podcast MuggleCast and PotterCast, and many others with experience and knowledge of Pottermania. The fun will start at 7 PM with the convention’s traditional Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball. Starting at 10:00 PM, festivities will convert themselves into a huge Harry Potter and the Cursed Child midnight book release . In tried and true Harry Potter Book Midnight Release party fashion, there will be a set of games, activities, and events to take part of–including, but not limited to:

• Costume Contests
• Sorting
• Trivia and other games
• Wizard Chess
• Quidditch
• Wizard Rock performances
• Face painting and other crafts
• Video retrospectives
• Appearances from special guests
• Put your name in the Goblet of Fire! (Submit your predictions, and we’ll go through them together at Sunday’s programming!)
• Share in the Pensieve: Submit memories about Harry Potter and your experiences; we’ll be sharing them throughout the night.
• And a lot more!

At midnight, everyone will begin to receive their book copy of the Cursed Child script! You must reserve a copy, and purchase will happen on site. Full, detailed instructions will shortly follow this announcement.

Fans in the Florida area, and maybe those who want to apparate further, can choose to come to just the party (which includes the ball) for $20, to enjoy the night’s festivities. If you are a full registered GeekyCon attendee, you can join us for the whole weekend — during which there will be a lot of Harry Potter related festivities and programming. Sunday we’ll be discussing Cursed Child almost nonstop!

Are you pumped up yet? We are so excited!

For more information about GeekyCon, visit the GeekyCon website. For tickets to this absolutely fantastic geeky convention, please visit this link.

This morning, J.K. Rowling tweeted from London. After being up all night with a “Robert-related brainwave” that made the insomnia worth it, our tired beloved author made her way to Cursed Child rehearsals.

My view this morning. I love London. pic.twitter.com/aLgFT9BnNx

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 18, 2016

Here’s me, groggy after a night of insomnia, saying hi. https://t.co/pSNw4VfIx1

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 18, 2016

Funnily enough, I had a Robert-related brainwave at 3am that made the insomnia worth it! https://t.co/wntjMjy9IL

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 18, 2016

After arriving at rehearsals, Jo released to her fans on twitter a sketch she had drawn for the play. A sketch of new wand designs for the Trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione), Draco, and Ginny.

Exciting morning at rehearsals for #CursedChild. What do you think of our wand designs? #HarryPotterPlaypic.twitter.com/Vg1wAmi11Y

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 18, 2016

Now, before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, I’ve been thinking about this for the last few hours, and once again Jo is not breaking canon, though that initially may appear to be the case. 

As much as we love to movies, Jo’s canon resides primarily in her books. Hermoine may be white in the movies, but according to the books she can be any ethnicity or nationality the reader imagines–and often the ethnicity the reader most identifies with. (Before all of you start pointing to chapter 21 in Prisoner of Azkaban, “white face” is a euphemism for scared. Chapter 4 of the same book reads, “They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.” She could be tanned, or she could be naturally darker skinned. Arguably, Hermione can be any race–it’s never directly specified. Does it really matter? NO.)

The wands described in the books give readers the wood and core materials and the length. Nothing is mentioned about design. In the first two Harry Potter films, Chirs Columbus opted to make everyone’s wands fairly similar in design. Alfonso Cuaron first brought uniquely designed wands to the films in Prisoner of Azkaban. Whether you love or hate the third movie, it was revolutionary with how the Potter books were portrayed on film, and did deviate from Jo’s world (though Jo did give her approval on the variations).

The materials of the five wands are still the same, as well as the length. For the first time, we are seeing the wands of the five main characters as Jo envisioned them.