Conversations With Friends FIRST LOOK: Jemima Kirke and Joe Alwyn embroiled in steamy affairs

BBC bosses have released the trailer for the television adaption of Sally Rooney’s 2017 book Conversations With Friends.

Actress Jemima Kirke, 37, and Joe Alwyn, 31, feature in the promo as a married couple Melissa and Nick Conway who become involved with a pair of students who were once also an item.

The show, which is coming to BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on 15 May, follows students, Frances (Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane), as they navigate their unusual attraction to the mysterious and sexy married couple Nick and Melissa.

The group meet at a poetry night in Ireland, with a glimpse at the intertwining relationships of the characters featuring in the promo. 

The new trailer opens with Melissa smiling as she’s drawn to Frances and Bobbi as they perform at a comedy night.

After their show, Melissa tells the pair ‘that was really great’ as she shares a flirty conversation with them at the bar.

Frances is then seen asking Bobbi if she is attracted to Melissa, to which she responds: ‘Obviously I have a crush on her.’

Telling the tale: The show, which is coming to BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on 15 May, follows the two young student women, Frances (Alison Oliver, left) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane, right)

Bobbi becomes infatuated with Melissa and openly begins a flirtation with the older woman, who appears flattered by the attention. 

Meanwhile, Frances opens up about her liking for Nick and the pair are seen exchanging glances at one another in a number of sultry flash forward moments from the series.

As the clip progresses, it becomes apparent the foursome’s connections become increasingly complicated and fraught.  

Catching the eye: Bobbi becomes infatuated with married Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and openly begins a flirtation with the older woman

New friends: The new trailer opens with Melissa (pictured) smiling as she’s drawn to Frances and Bobbi as they perform at a comedy night

The novel and trailer alike are packed full of racy moments which will set viewers hearts thumping and will likely follow in the footsteps of author Sally’s 2020 series Normal People, which wowed viewers with its intimate, realistic sex scenes.

Like author Sally’s 2017 smash book, Conversations With Friends is also set in Trinity College, Dublin.

After Bobbi falls for Melissa, Frances and Nick embark on an elicit affair, with the foursome become more and more entangled with one another.

Setting the scene: Meanwhile, Frances opens up about her liking for Melissa’s husband Nick and the pair are seen exchanging glances at one another throughout the trailer

Sexy: The novel and trailer alike are packed full of racy moments which will set viewers hearts thumping and will likely follow in the footsteps of author Sally’s 2020 series Normal People

Nick ultimately reveals the affair to his wife, who accepts the relationship having had her own affairs, and Nick begins to date Frances openly within the group.

Eventually Frances rekindles her romantic relationship with both Bobbi and Nick, with the four continuing their elicit attraction to one another despite the complexities.  

Unlike the rest of the cast, little is known about the show’s lead role of Frances, who will be played by emerging talent Alison.

Watch: Conversations with Friends will premiere on Sunday 15 May, airing on BBC Three in the UK, with all episodes available on iPlayer

She will make her debut in the series having graduated from drama school Lir Academy in Dublin, Ireland.

The new series comes after the success of Rooney’s 2018 novel Normal People which was adapted into a ratings smash hit TV series in 2020.

The show follows troubled lovers Connell and Marianne from their school days in Sligo to university at Trinity College Dublin as they navigate the difficulties of social and class dynamics in Ireland. 

It’s a hit! Normal People, which follows Marianne Sheridan [Daisy Edgar-Jones] and Connell Waldron [Paul Mescal], was BBC iPlayer’s most popular series of the year in 2020

The drama sees Marianne as a hugely intelligent yet misunderstood social outcast, while Connell is the school football star and is widely popular among his peers.

Marianne and Connell’s link is due to the fact that his mother works as a cleaner at her family’s mansion, and a strange and indelible connection grows between them.  

However, Connell is desperate to keep their blossoming relationship under wraps due to Marianne’s lower social standing at school.

The tables soon turn however, when the duo both go on to attend Trinity College in Dublin and Marianne is well-liked for her quirky ways and thoughtful insights.

Incredible: Normal People viewers went wild for the Irish drama after all 12-episodes were released on BBC iPlayer

While Connell struggles to find a connection with anyone other than Marianne.

Their relationship is thwarted by tricky situations, other romances and their own personal demons.

The coming-of-age novel is set in mid-2000s Ireland and tells the tale of how they overcome it. 

Normal People was the most watched show on BBC Three ever with more than 23 million downloads globally and over 6.75 million devices watching the first episode. This makes it the most popular programme on the channel ever.

Conversations with Friends will premiere on Sunday 15 May, airing on BBC Three in the UK, with all episodes available on iPlayer from May 15. It will be available on Hulu in the US on the same day.

Breathtaking portrayals: The show, which is based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling second novel, follows troubled lovers Connell and Marianne from their school days in Sligo to university at Trinity College Dublin