Thanks to his role as one of the dashing lead brothers in the Netflix Regency romp , is an actor with many adoring fans out there – but they might want to brace themselves for his latest project.
A stage version of the famously disturbing novel A Little Life, by US writer Hanya Yanagihara, about four male friends in New York, it explores sexual abuse, self-harm, drug addiction and suicide, among other things. Many of those fans may already be prepared for what’s coming, for despite the book’s heavy subject matter, it has proved astonishingly popular since its 2015 publication – even as some critics and readers have dubbed it ‘torture porn’.
Now this West End, English-language adaptation from director Ivo van Hove, which follows his Dutch staging, is set to be one of the theatrical events of the year.
Luke believes the story’s surprising popular appeal lies in its very divisiveness.
‘I remember someone who had seen the original Dutch-language production saying that whatever people thought about it, they had a strong reaction to it, whether they were bowled over by it or they thought it was too much – which is the sense I got with the book as well,’ he says.
‘The thing that’s great about it is that it’s hard to be indifferent to it.’
But what’s it like performing such tortuous material? Luke plays Willem, a good-looking actor who becomes the unofficial caretaker and romantic partner of his troubled lawyer friend Jude (), who harms himself as a result of his unresolved trauma.
Given the themes, and with the show running close to four hours, it’s a lot for any actor to take on. Indeed, the producers have made mental health support available to the cast. Yet when I catch up with Luke after a day of rehearsals, he seems remarkably unfazed by the material he’s grappling with.
‘The thing about acting is that it’s fantasy on some level. So there’s a sort of base layer of enjoyment, whatever the subject matter… to put it bluntly, it’s not therapy.’
That enjoyment includes getting to work with Ivo, who is acclaimed for his radical reinventions of works from A View From The Bridge to Hedda Gabler. He’s often referred to as a visionary, which might make him sound a daunting figure to be directed by. Yet Luke says the reality is the opposite. ‘He’s got a wonderful sense of humour and he’s very gentle.’
What Luke has also appreciated is Ivo’s rehearsal process – since day one, all the actors have been rehearsing pretty much off-book and in costume.
‘There’s something about that way of working that encourages you to just jump in… I’ve always thought acting isn’t a cerebral job. I don’t want to be one step in and one step out – I want to switch my brain off and live it.’
Despite his acting philosophy, Luke has the careful reflectiveness of someone who thinks deeply. After graduating from Rada, he quietly built his reputation in theatre with roles in the Almeida’s Oresteia and ’s King Lear. So getting the job on Bridgerton, playing the louche, artistic Benedict, was something else entirely.
When the first series launched in December 2020, it quickly became biggest hit. Luke says he had a good feeling from the start.
‘With the team of producers and executive producers and writers, there was an eerie confidence – and it was absolutely borne out.’
For all its success, the series is often called a ‘guilty pleasure’. Luke says there may be an element of misogyny to that. ‘[People will say] “Oh, it’s fluffy romance…” I think, well, romance is a style and a genre that has its codes just like any other – no one says sci-fi or horror is silly.’
Luke has been filming the third season, in among A Little Life rehearsals, and the key question is when will it be Benedict’s turn to find true love? As for the pin-up status that Bridgerton has bestowed upon him, Luke is nonplussed.
‘It’s lovely… as an actor you want to live in people’s imaginations – that’s the dream, right?’
If you’re looking for variety, you could hardly get two more contrasting projects to work on simultaneously than Bridgerton and A Little Life.
‘I feel extremely lucky – I did a radio play this week and I thought, “This is it, I couldn’t ask for more.”’
