Harry Potter play to open in the West End

A new play called "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" will open at London's Palace Theatre in summer next year with tickets going on sale this autumn.

The stage show will debut at the Palace Theatre in the heart of London in summer 2016, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The show will follow the lives of the boy wizard's doomed parents, Lily and James Potter, and their death at the hands of Lord Voldermort, which results in a baby Harry being sent to live with Lily's cruel sister Petunia Dursley, her husband Vernon and their bullying son Dudley.

The play has been penned by Potter author J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, who will also be directing the show.

While the cast is yet to be announced, producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender are said to be on the lookout for the leads and informal auditions are currently being held, reports the Daily Mail newspaper.

The 49-year-old writer took to her Twitter page to announce the news but refused to reveal too much about the play for fear of spoiling the story.

"I'm very excited to confirm today that a new play called Harry Potter and the #CursedChild will be opening in London next year," she tweeted.