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Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ TV adaptation begins filming at TCD

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Scenes for the BBC Three adaptation of Irish novelist Sally Rooney's hit novel Normal People have begun filming at Trinity College Dublin.

Despite the lines of tourists queueing to visit the iconic Book of Kells (when is there not a line?), several cast and crew members were seen roaming around the famous college campus yesterday, according to the Irish Independent.

The award-winning. book was adapted for the screen by Rooney herself, with veteran director Lenny Abrahamson behind the camera.

The Oscar-nominated director behind films like Room, Frank and What Richard Did completed a Masters in theoretical physics at Trinity back in 1987, so he's familiar with the setting,

He's set to direct six episodes of the 12-part series, before Hettie McDonald takes over for the remaining six.

Filming has mainly taken place in the Robert Emmett Theatre in the Arts Block, with scenes between the protagonists, Marianne and Connell, taking place in lecture theatres.

21-year-old Cold Feet star Daisy Edgar-Jones has scored the lead role of Marianne, while 23-year-old Paul Mescal will take on the role of Connell.

The Lír Academy graduate previously garnered rave reviews for his part as Jay Gatsby in The Gate Theatre's production of The Great Gatsby, so he should be well able to handle Connell.

The series follows the characters, who move from the West of Ireland to Dublin in order to attend college, but the pair strike up an unlikely relationship.

At secondary school, Connell is the popular guy while Marianne is an isolated outsider among her peers. Despite this, they're drawn together.

Roles are completely reversed when they start college years later, with Marianne fitting in straight away with the debating crew but Connell finds himself on the outskirts.

Abrahamson has spoken out about how excited to work with the pair, saying:

"I feel I have found two young actors who vividly capture Marianne and Connell and bring alive the profound and beautiful relationship at the centre of the story."

The cast are heading to Italy in August or September after filming in Trinity is completed, before returning to Dublin to finish the shoot.

Filming also took place in County Sligo earlier in the year.

Further scenes will be shot in Trinity today and on Monday in the front square, library and on the cricket pitches. See if you can spot the cast if you're wandering around town.

Feature image: Instagram/@trinitycollegedublin

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