Derry Girls star Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Laurie Kynaston (Fool me Once, The Sandman) and Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World) lead the cast for Leonard and Hungry Paul, the upcoming BBC adaptation of Dublin author Rónán Hession‘s acclaimed novel.
A gentle and thought-provoking drama about two board game-loving friends, the success of Leonard and Hungry Paul took its indie publisher Bluemoose Books by surprise when it was published in 2019. The novel has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide and was selected as the book that Dubliners should read in 2021, chosen by Dublin City Council as its annual One Dublin One Book selection.
“At a time when most shows involve dragons, detectives, or existential dread, Leonard and Hungry Paul takes a slower route – through kindness, the quiet gravity of small things and the occasional game of backgammon,” said Andrew Chaplin, director of the six-part series.
Adapted by writers Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson, the series is currently filming in Dublin. It was commissioned by Eddie Doyle, senior head of commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland.
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“This series is full of charm and poignant moments that encapsulate ordinary life,” Doyle said. “With a stellar cast bringing this acclaimed novel to the screen, it will make an exciting addition to BBC Northern Ireland’s offering this year.”
Hession, who also reviews fiction for The Irish Times, has published two other novels, Panenka (2021), and his latest novel Ghost Mountain, which was released in 2024. “It’s a real privilege as a writer to see my work being brought to life in a different creative form,” he said.
