Fans have revealed how they left James Norton’s West End play early after paying for a production involving rape, torture, child abuse and nudity.
Many of the critics love the show starring tHe Happy valley star, 37, but spectators who paid up to £160 for a ticket said they left the production.
A Little Life left preview audiences at the Harold Pinter Theater traumatized by stage graphics of suicide, self-harm and pedophilia – with one audience member counting 11 people walking out.
After attending early performances this week, fans of the play took to social media to express their shock at how “raw” the production is.
One wrote: ‘Only made it to the break of ‘A Little Life’. 1hr 50 of unrelenting misery was more than enough for me… (I guess it didn’t end ‘happy’) #Alittlelifeplay.”
Tough look: Fans who paid to see James Norton in a West End play walk out of show over rape, torture and child abuse
Talent: The Happy Valley star, 37, is set to star in the highly anticipated West End adaptation of cult novel directed by Ivo van Hove.
Response: An attendee at the Richmond Theatre, which opened Tuesday’s retelling of Hanya Yanagihara’s 2015 book, said they made the decision to leave during intermission after the “relentless misery” became too much for them
One viewer said, “I have some experience with physical abuse and I know A LOT about emotional abuse from a parent. #ALittleLifePlay can be extreme/ruthless: that IS the nature of all abuse. It IS ruthless. It infiltrates every part of you, your life and your relationship dynamics 24/7.”
Theater enthusiast Paul Pearson wrote online: I’m going to #ALittleLifePlay. So far the reactions have been, “oh god what is that actor doing again”, “good luck”, “bet you can’t last the full 4 hours”.
Another participant said the retelling of Hanya Yanagihara’s 2015 book caused them to leave with the break after the “relentless misery” got too much for them, they told The Mirror.
Another audience member called the adaptation, staged by director Ivo Van Hove, “perhaps the most disturbing, staunchly brutal and explicit play I have ever seen.”
Others said they were warned by fellow theater buffs that they might not last through the full length of the play
One social media user said, “#ALittleLifePlay is cruel. Relentlessly brutal. But also wonderful theatre. The whole cast shines. But it’s James Norton who is the powerhouse. Barely more than 3.5 hours off stage, this is arguably his best work. Award-winning stuff. But not for the faint hearted!’
Another added, “Possibly the most disturbing, staunchly brutal and explicit piece I’ve ever seen and certainly not for the faint of heart.” The entire cast rises and James Norton is an absolute powerhouse in this heartbreaking epic.”
One theatergoer wrote on Twitter: “It feels wrong to say you enjoyed something when the content is so raw and difficult, but I’m thrilled to have seen this masterpiece come to life in such a thoughtful way.”
The novel became a critically acclaimed bestseller, with celebrity fans including Dua Lipa saying the book “changed her life” on her podcast.
Awful: A Little Life has left preview audiences traumatized by the onstage graphic depictions of suicide, self-harm and pedophilia – with one audience member counting 11 people walking out
Theatergoers are also provided with information about mental health charities for those disturbed by the content.
The performance, which runs a whopping three hours and 40 minutes and is heading to the Savoy Theater soon, features a star-studded cast including Norton, It’s A Sin star Omari Douglas and Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson.
The stage adaptation is directed by Ivo van Hove.
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015, the original book became a word of mouth and earned the author a following of devoted fans.
The novel is 814 pages long and follows four classmates from a small American college who move to New York and their relationships with each other, as well as complex issues such as sexual abuse, disability and addiction.
James Norton didn’t shy away from demanding roles – the actor was lauded for playing Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, but this will probably be one of the star’s toughest acting challenges to date.
The actor, who has type 1 diabetes, told The Graham Norton Show in November that the play, at 3 hours and 40 minutes, is so long that he has to eat on stage to keep his blood sugar stable.
He told Norton, “The added part is I don’t leave the stage for a few hours and I have type 1 diabetes so I have juice and I can’t get into it because it has branding on it!”
“But I’ve got some sweet stuff I should have sprinkled all over the stage in case I get hypoglycaemia.”
MailOnline has contacted A Little Life for comment.
- An earlier version of this article incorrectly referenced a quote from the Guardian’s review of the Australian production of A Little Life about the presence of paramedics. We’ve edited the article to remove this reference.