The Anglofiles: Inside Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with Broadway’s Hermione Granger
Rachel Christopher is an accomplished stage actress currently starring as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway at the Lyric Theatre. With a strong theatre background that includes acclaimed productions such as Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and For Colored Girls…, she brings remarkable depth and versatility to her work.
In this Anglofiles interview, Rachel shares her perspective on portraying one of literature’s most iconic characters, life within New York’s vibrant theatre community, and why Harry Potter continues to captivate audiences around the world.
What drew you to this role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and how have you approached making the character your own on stage?
As a little girl growing up and reading the Harry Potter series, my affinity towards Hermione Granger was immediate. I recognized her tenacity, loyalty and unending curiosity. I also took an infinite amount of joy in outrunning my male friends when I could!
In my approach to the role, I have spent a good amount of time imagining who someone of her immense capability and experience might grow up to be. There is nothing about her knowledge or love for the Wizarding World that is ‘in theory’. She and her friends fought fiercely to create the world they now enjoy. They have lost loved ones in the process. That loss must create a deep care and vigilance. I have tried to examine what is joyful and celebratory about Hermione in the moment of the play’s beginning, but also what is careful, measured and ready at any call.
The play is known for its innovative staging and magical effects. From an actor’s perspective, what’s it like working within such a technically ambitious production?
It is a true thrill working on a production that requires as much precision and collaboration as Cursed Child. From the stage magic to the changes in space and time with the gesture of a cloak, the show is constantly morphing. As a performer, it is an exciting challenge to consider each gesture, sounds, and illusion as integral to the story as the language. When our collaboration is at its best, you can hardly tell where one ends and the other begins!
Broadway demands such consistency and stamina. How do you maintain such a rigorous schedule, making sure to take care of yourself and simultaneously keeping the performance fresh for a new audience night after night?
It. Takes. PRACTICE! I find that live performance is a muscle like any other. The rigorous Broadway schedule ensures that we keep quite agile and in tune with our own body’s needs. Cursed Child has a wonderful team that ensures that no one is operating outside their ability to manage their self-care. Our company is also gifted with some of the best audiences on Broadway. While folx are new to our particular story, they are often not new to the characters. The hubbub of excitement out in the house is palpable and infectious!
What has been the most rewarding or surprising part of performing in New York’s theatre community compared to other places you’ve worked?
I have lived in New York for many years and it is a joy to be able to share the project you are working on with your local friends and chosen families. It is also a joy to join the Softball and Bowling Leagues that Broadway organizes to foster community across productions.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published in 1997. Why do you think Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues to resonate so strongly with audiences today, and what do you hope people take away from the experience?
The books, and our play, cover many themes and ideas. I think what is central and resoundingly resonant is the desire for belonging that we all experience. The search for family, love and purpose are baked into our human experience. The world of Hogwarts and, Harry’s in particular, puts that fact into sharp focus.
Harry Potter is one of the most famous British stories ever written - how does it feel to be part of bringing that legacy to life live on Broadway?
Utterly Thrilling. I couldn’t be more grateful or honored.
Learn more about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and get tickets to see Rachel Christopher and the cast at the Lyric Theatre here!