The cast of the eagerly awaited London play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’, which reunites Harry with his two best friends as adults working in the Ministry of Magic, has been announced - starring a black woman.
Potter fans around the world took to social media to comment on the casting of Swaziland-born actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger.
The race debate erupted, with critics annoyed Hermione – portrayed in the movies as a white girl – will now, in their eyes, be portrayed a different way.
Others insisted Hermione was white in the books, and questioned the credibility of the play.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling responded by welcoming the decision and explaining that Hermione’s skin colour was never specified.
“Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione,” Ms Rowling tweeted to her six million followers.
Other actors in the blockbuster Potter films, also tweeted their support.
“And Neville Longbottom was blonde. I really don’t care. Good luck to her,” actor Matthew Lewis tweeted.
Lewis’s comment was retweeted by Emma Watson, who portrayed Hermione Granger in the films.
Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, posted "it is people's hearts not their looks that matter".
A long chorus of fans also supported behind the ‘colour-blind casting’ of 46-year-old Dumezweni.
“I love how Hermione being black is somehow more implausible to some people than a universe where the entire postal system depends on owls,” user @QueerDiscOx tweeted.
Dumezweni was cast alongside Jamie Parker as Harry Potter and Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley, with the play to be performed in two parts when it opens in London’s West End in 2016.
Some fans were quick to point out the fact that Jamie Parker – unlike Harry - does not have black hair, and that Paul Thornley is not a vibrant redhead like Ron.
