RTÉ to air Element Pictures’ Normal People this Spring

RTÉ has announced that it will be airing Normal People, the Element Pictures adaptation of Sally Rooney’s acclaimed novel for the BBC.

The highly-anticipated 12-part relationship drama stars Kildare newcomer 24-year-old Paul Mescal in his first television role as Connell, and British actress Daisy Edgar Jones (War of the Worlds, Cold Feet) in the role of Marianne. The series follows two young people navigating adulthood in contemporary Ireland, and their complicated relationship from the end of their school days in Sligo to their undergraduate years at Trinity College. It also stars Sarah Greene (Dublin Murders, Rosie) and Aislín McGuckin (Outlander). Sally Rooney adapted her coming-of-age book with Alice Birch along with Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe. Normal People has been directed by the Oscar-nominated film-maker Lenny Abrahamson and the English director Hettie Macdonald. The series was filmed in Dublin, Sligo, Sweden and Italy.

Normal People is an Element Pictures production for BBC Three and Hulu in association with Screen Ireland. The series is executive produced by Ed Guiney (The Favourite, Room, Dublin Murders), Andrew Lowe (The Favourite, Room, The Lobster), Emma Norton (Rosie, A Date For Mad Mary) and Anna Ferguson (No Offence, Prisoners’ Wives) for Element Pictures. Sally Rooney and Lenny Abrahamson also serve as executive producers, as well as Tommy Bulfin and Rose Garnett for the BBC. Catherine Magee (Resistance, Rebellion, Prosperity) is the producer of the series.

Dermot Horan, RTÉ’s Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions said: ‘We are very proud to bring this beautifully-made and compelling series from Element Pictures to our RTÉ viewers. The appeal and the reach of the book and this series is global, but at its heart is a distinctly Irish story which we know will strongly resonate with our younger viewers.’ 

Ed Guiney of Element Pictures said: ‘All of us at Element feel so privileged to be part of adapting Sally’s extraordinary novel, working once again with the brilliant Lenny Abrahamson. The show is an incredible testament to our wonderful (largely) Irish cast and crew and we are delighted that RTÉ will be bringing it to Irish audiences in the very near future.’ 

Details about broadcast dates will be announced later in the spring.