James Norton and Niamh Algar were seen shooting scenes in rainy Cornwall on Tuesday for new film Playing Nice.
The psychological thriller based on the 2020 novel by J. P. Delaney stars parents Pete and Maddie and another family who find out their children were swapped in hospital accidentally at birth.
The two actors were joined by a young boy – believed to be the fictional couple’s son Theo – on a beach in Padstow as they recreated family scenes.
The weather was so bad during filming that James had to hide under a dry robe during takes to stay warm and dry.
They both braved the chilly temperatures in shorts for filming before sitting on the sand and having a kiss.
Chilly: James Norton and Niamh Algar were seen shooting scenes in rainy Cornwall on Tuesday for new film Playing Nice
Smooch: The psychological thriller based on the 2020 novel by J. P. Delaney stars parents Pete and Maddie and another family who find out their children were swapped in hospital accidentally at birth
A synopsis of the book reads: ‘Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare.
‘On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son – he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy.
‘For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.’
A plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched.
Niamh, 31, – believed to be playing mother Maddie – wore a cream knitted jumper and light blue denim shorts.
While James, 38, wore a bright yellow jumper and khaki shorts.
The family group were seen dipping their toes in the freezing cold water as the extensive film crew captured the scenes.
The young actor playing Theo looked cosy in a blue and green all-in-one as he sat on James’ shoulders for one scene.
Sweet: The two actors were joined by a young boy – believed to be the fictional couple’s son Theo – on the beach as they recreated family scenes
It comes after earlier this year James starred in A Little Life.
The West End play divided critics and left audiences traumatised by its graphic on-stage portrayals of suicide, self-harm and pedophilia.
One attendee at Richmond Theatre, where the stage re-telling of Hanya Yanagihara’s 2015 book opened before transferring to The Savoy, said they made the decision to leave at the interval after the ‘relentless misery’ became too much for them.
Another audience member called the adaptation, brought to stage by director Ivo Van Hove, ‘possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play I’ve ever seen.’
The performance, which lasted a whopping 3 hours and 40 minutes had a star-studded cast, including James, It’s A Sin actor Omari Douglas and Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson.
The book, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015, became a word-of-mouth hit and won the author a following of dedicated fans.
The novel is 814 pages long and follows four classmates from a small US college who move to New York and their relationships with one another, as well as complex issues including sexual abuse, disability and addiction.
After attending early performances fans of the play took to social media to express their shock at just how ‘raw’ the production is.
One wrote: ‘#Only made it to the interval of ‘A Little Life’. 1 hour 50′ of relentless misery was more than enough for me….(I gather it didn’t end ‘happily’) #Alittlelifeplay.’
A fellow audience member wrote: ‘#ALittleLifePlay is brutal. Relentlessly brutal. But also brilliant theatre. The entire cast shines. But it’s James Norton who is the powerhouse. Barely off stage for more than 3.5 hours, this may be his best work. Award winning stuff. But not for the faint hearted!’
Another added: ‘Possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play I’ve ever seen which is definitely not for the faint of heart. The entire cast soars and James Norton is an absolute powerhouse in this heartbreaking epic.’
Winter: They both braved the chilly temperatures in shorts for filming before sitting on the sand and having a kiss
Tough: It comes after earlier this year James starred in A Little Life. The West End play divided critics and left audiences traumatised by its graphic on-stage portrayals of suicide, self-harm and pedophilia
One theatregoer penned on Twitter: ‘It feels wrong to say you enjoyed something when the content is so raw & difficult, but I am extremely glad I got to see this masterpiece brought to life in such a thoughtful way.’
The novel became a critically acclaimed bestseller, with celebrity fans including Dua Lipa who said the book ‘changed her life’ on her podcast.
The play left critics divided with Daily Mail’s Luke Jones in his four-star review said the show was ‘A little grim but worth the pain’.
While The Independent’s Alice Saville gave the production two stars and branded it a ‘A naïve and psychologically incurious narrative of abuse’