ALISON BOSHOFF: Happy Valley villain James Norton proves to be a West End smash as his new show A Little Life sells out
His performance as psychopath Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley is spellbinding to BBC viewers.
And as we approach the finale of the show this Sunday, it can be revealed that James Norton’s star power has helped to sell out the entire 12-week run of A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End.
The show — a tough watch which clocks in at an epic three hours and 40 minutes — will run for up to eight performances a week from March to June at the Pinter, after previewing in Richmond. Both venues are sold out.
Norton plays lawyer Jude in A Little Life, based on Hanya Yanagihara’s best-selling novel about four college classmates in New York and directed by Ivo van Hove.
The show originated in Amsterdam, in Dutch, and this will mark its English-language premiere.
Leading man: James Norton’s star power has helped to sell out the entire 12-week run of A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End
It comes after James revealed US stars Amy Schumer and Bob Dylan ‘love’ Happy Valley as he discussed the drama’s popularity in a recent interview.
The actor explained that Americans find England ‘fascinating.’
Speaking to Vera magazine, he said he received a direct message on Twitter from comedian Amy confessing her love for Happy Valley.
James gushed: ‘People find our little island fascinating. When you ask Americans where they’re from, they’re still obsessed with our heritage because it’s in some ways theirs.
‘Happy Valley is quintessentially British in its specificity to that part of England. There’s a fascination with that.’
James continued: ‘It’s a brilliant police procedural but at its heart it’s about family. What translates across the world is that everyone knows what it is to have messed up families that you can’t tear yourself away from. It’s cool.’
His comments come after a trailer for the final episode of Happy Valley was released today ahead of the upcoming finale on Sunday.
The 16 second clip teases the final showdown between Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) after his daring escape from court before the police sergeant is shown breaking down in tears.
One to watch: His performance as psychopath Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley is spellbinding to BBC viewers
The trailer opens with Tommy’s son Ryan (Rhys Connah) being questioned by police about when he last had contact with his dangerous dad.
A series of scenes of the police moving in on Tommy follow as Catherine is heard saying ‘he’s still out there, he’s going to be angry and he’s going to be even more desperate and dangerous’.
The short clip ends with a bloodied Tommy appearing to hit somebody on the ground and a final shot of Catherine in tears.
Famous fans: It comes after James revealed US stars Amy Schumer and Bob Dylan ‘love’ Happy Valley as he discussed the drama’s popularity in a recent interview
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