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Fans of Skins TV show rush to see New Boy in the West End
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent18 Mar 2009
FANS of the television show Skins have driven record ticket sales at the West End show starring Nicholas Hoult.
Fewer than 200 tickets remain for the run of New Boy, the story of a schoolboy crush billed as "Hamlet for the Skins generation".
The show has become the fastest selling and highest grossing at the Trafalgar Studios since they opened five years ago. Management immediately offered producers an extended run.
But those without a ticket may not now catch Hoult until at least the summer. He is due to film Clash Of The Titans in Hollywood straight after the run so no more performances can be scheduled for three months.
A spokesman said a decision on whether the play will come back later in the year will be made shortly.
Hoult, 19, who comes from Wokingham, Berkshire, first attracted attention when he played opposite Hugh Grant in the film About A Boy.
He found a new following as part of the young cast in the first two series of award-winning E4 drama, Skins, where he played Tony Stonem who was popular, intelligent, but manipulative. The rising star will be supported at tomorrow's press night by fellow Skins actors Hannah Murray, who played Cassie, Mike Bailey (Sid), Larissa Wilson (Jal), Daniel Kaluuya (Kenneth) and Kaya Scodelario (Effy).
Another star of the first two Skins series, Dev Patel, has gone on to film success in the multi Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.
In a twist on his Skins character, in New Boy Hoult plays a teenager, Mark, who starts the sixth form desperate to become more popular. He identifies the attractive new boy Barry, who seems to be having trouble making friends, as his potential route to success.
A spokesman said: "It's Hamlet for the Skins generation in the effect that Nick has had on the box office. It's like David Tennant with Hamlet. It's obviously attracting a new audience who are Skins fans. People are begging for tickets. This is a young person's show about school issues that has virtually sold out before the first performance with very little publicity."
New Boy was originally seen on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe nine years ago and toured the UK, before transferring to New York and Melbourne. It was described by The Times as "very rude and very, very funny".
The production also co-stars Mel Giedroyc and Ciara Janson - the Hollyoaks regular also making her West End debut. It runs until 11 April.
