Watch: Paul Mescal performs a solo contemporary dance number

So far this year, we’ve watched Irish newcomer Paul Mescal dominate our screens. 

First of all, in the BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best selling novel, Normal People, which earned him an Emmy nomination. Next there was the Rolling Stones music video, which saw the Kildare man swagger about a hotel room, to their new song, Scarlet.

Now we get to see the 25-year-old actor star in a new short film released today, where Paul performs a contemporary dance number, inspired by lockdown. 

Watch the video, below;

The Normal People star performs a 90-second contemporary dance composition in the film titled Lockdown, which sees him capture the mood of a tumultuous year. The release of the film marks the launch of a new campaign that aims to support performers in the arts who have been adversely affected by the impact of the pandemic.

Mescal, who was recently named Breakthrough Actor of the Year, choreographed the dance performance to communicate the emotions and feelings he felt during lockdown. The film was created and shot by Samsung to launch a new initiative called ‘Samsung Spotlight’, which aims to champion emerging creatives in the arts and provide a platform for them to showcase their skills and talents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the new film Mescal uses contemporary and modern dance, as well acting and physical theatre, to tell a personal story about the impact of the pandemic. The highly emotive performance takes place in an abandoned warehouse, in which Mescal searches for a new stage, following the closure of theatre-stages and venues across the UK and Ireland.