Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life to be adapted into West End play

Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life, published by Picador in 2015, is being adapted into a play by Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove, dramaturge Koen Tachelet and the author.

The production will preview at Richmond Theatre from 14th to 18th March 2023, ahead of opening in the West End at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 30th March, with previews from 25th March, and will run until 18th June.

James Norton will play Jude; Luke Thompson, Willem; Omari Douglas, JB; Zach Wyatt, Malcolm; Elliot Cowan, Brother Luke/Doctor Traylor/Caleb); Zubin Varla, Harold; Nathalie Armin, Ana; and Emilio Doorgasingh, Andy.

Yanagihara said: “One of the greatest, most unexpected joys and honours in my life has been watching as more readers than I could ever have imagined have taken A Little Life and its characters into their hearts over the past seven years.

“One of those readers was the visionary Ivo van Hove, and I’m thrilled he’s bringing his interpretation of the book to London next spring, with the most extraordinary cast I could have hoped for. This is a singular production, unlike anything I’ve seen before on stage; I hope audiences will be as transported and astonished as I was.”

Ivo van Hove said it was “a joy to be returning to the London stage, to a community that has made us feel so welcome, and especially to be bringing Hanya’s incredible novel A Little Life to the stage in the English language for the first time”, which he described as “quite genuinely a dream come true".

“I’m looking forward to beginning rehearsals with this extraordinary and committed group of actors to reveal the work afresh for audiences from across the UK,” he said.

Production company Wessex Grove’s Benjamin Lowy and Emily Vaughan-Barratt added: “To be able to bring this work of theatrical genius to the West End is an extreme privilege and a highlight of our careers.

“We have both been fans and huge admirers of Hanya’s A Little Life from our first reading of it seven years ago, and to be able to spend time with the iconic characters of Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm again has been remarkable. It will be incredible to see them come to life before our eyes on stage played by the finest actors of a generation.

“We can’t wait to share Ivo’s thrilling adaptation of this story about heroic acts of friendship to audiences, whether they are new to the story or longtime fans. Ivo van Hove and Hanya Yanagihara are both artistic titans and we can’t wait to share their collaboration with London audiences.”