Normal People has gotten everyone talking in recent days, with American and UK audiences already loving the series based on Sally Rooney’s novel.
Set in Sligo and Dublin, Normal People was released in 2018 and is Irish author Sally Rooney’s second novel. The TV adaptation has already been released in the United States and the UK, to almost universal acclaim.
Tonight, Irish audiences will get to see the first two episodes when it airs on RTE. Chances are you’ve either read the book or seen the ads on TV but if you still don’t know what it’s all about, the below guide has you covered.
https://twitter.com/normalpeople/status/1245002917335179264
What’s Normal People all about?
Normal People tells the story of two teenagers, namely Connell, a handsome and highly intelligent secondary school student, and Marianne, who is ‘unpopular, intimidating and equally intelligent.’ The pair begin a relationship while in school in Sligo before meeting up again while both are attending Trinity College in Dublin.
Who’s in it?
Connell is played by Paul Mescal who has a number of stage credits in Dublin, including the role of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby at the Gate Theatre. Oh, and he also starred in the below ad for Denny Sausages. “Ballyhaunis,” remember?
Denny (2018)
Maybe not old enough to be considered a classic, great ad all the same. Stars Irish actor Paul Mescal, who plays Connell in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Ad was developed by Rothco.#NormalPeople @dennysince1820 @mescal_paul @wearerothco pic.twitter.com/8xOTjPwkaS— Classic Irish Ads (@AdsIrish) April 28, 2020
Marianne is portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones, who you might recognise from Cold Feet, Silent Witness and War of the Worlds. Renowned Irish director Lenny Abrahamson oversees the production.
What are people saying about it?
The Guardian has said that it’s a ‘small screen triumph’ and The Independent has called it ‘pitch-perfect.’ So, yeah, it seems people like it.
How long is it on for?
Each episode lasts just around 30-40 minutes and there are 12 episodes in total.
When is it on?
You can catch Normal People every Tuesday night on RTE One, starting tonight at 10.15pm.
