Ask any book club for their favourite read of 2019 and there’s a 96 per cent chance they’ll tell you it was Normal People by Sally Rooney.
We made that stat up, but really, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person who’s read Rooney’s award-winning novel and wasn’t immediately captivated by the searingly honest romance of Irish teenagers Connell and Marianne.
Now, Normal People the TV series is coming to the small screen and, like you, we have a lot of questions.
From where to watch Normal People in Australia to the cast and release date, here’s everything you need to know about the TV adaption of Normal People.
Watch the newly released trailer for Normal People below. Post continues after video.
Where to watch Normal People in Australia.
Normal People will air on BBC Three, and we’ll be able to watch the series on Stan. Even better, the entire 12-episode series will be available to stream from April 27, the same day as the UK.
Normal People cast.
For those who haven’t read Normal People, it’s the second novel from Irish author Sally Rooney, whose 2017 debut Conversations With Friends earned her the title of “the first great millennial novelist”.
Flitting between both main characters’ perspectives, Normal People tells the story of two Irish young people, Marianne and Connell, from completely different families, upbringings and social classes who can’t seem to stay away from one another, no matter how many years pass.
The recount of their on-again-off-again relationship is honest, gritty and romantic. And sexy.
Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne.
Playing Marianne, the introverted ‘weird’ girl with a complicated family dynamic who everyone ignored in school, is British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Aside from featuring in some stage shows and the British comedy-drama Cold Feet, this is Edgar-Jones’ first leading role.
Paul Mescal as Connell.
Also relatively unknown is Paul Mescal, the Irish actor starring as Connell. In the book, Connell and Marianne meet when Connell’s mum becomes Marianne’s family cleaner. Despite being well-liked and popular in school, Connell feels isolated, like no one really understands him, except Marianne.
Normal People is Mescal’s first big acting role, aside from also having performed in theatre previously.
Other actors you’ll see in Normal People include: Eliot Salt as Joanna, Desmond Eastwood as Niall, India Mullen as Peggy, Killian Filan as Jack and Leah McNamara as Rachel.
From what we’ve seen of Edgar-Jones and Mescal as Marianne and Connell so far, the casting people got it spot on.
How close will the show be to the original Normal People book?
One of the biggest fears book lovers have about their favourite novel being turned into a film or series is that it’ll lose the magic of the original story.
It’s for this reason the adaptation of Normal People was co-written by the book’s author Sally Rooney.
According to the Guardian, Rooney co-wrote six of the episodes alongside screenwriters Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe. She is also an executive producer, working with directors Hettie Macdonald, and Lenny Abrahamson, who directed the critically acclaimed film Room.
Producer Ed Guiney also said Rooney was involved in the show’s production right from the beginning.
“Sally was involved in all the early discussions about how many episodes, the format, conversations about actors, as well as reading various versions of the script. She contributed to them all; it was a full-blooded engagement.”
As you can see from the images below, the Normal People TV series will be just as charming and moody as the book.
Now all that's left to do is ask your mate for their copy of Normal People so you can devour it before the TV show comes out!
Feature Image: BBC/Twitter.
Every episode of Normal People will premiere on Stan on April 27.
This post was originally published on January 19, 2020, and updated on April 1, 2020.
Have you read Normal People? Are you excited for the TV adaption? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.