ITV has released the explosive first trailer for ‘The Party‘, a five-part psychological thriller starring Luke Evans (The Pembrokeshire Murders, Nine Perfect Strangers), which arrives on ITV1, STV and ITVX this October.
Adapted by award-winning showrunner Sarah Solemani (Chivalry, Ridley Road) from Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel, ‘The Party’ explores privilege, obsession, class hierarchy and long-buried secrets, with a complicated relationship spanning decades at the heart of the story.
Luke Evans plays Martin Gilmour, whose relationship with Ben, played by Tom Cullen, has been shaped by years of friendship, buried feelings and secrets. As those secrets begin colliding with politics, status and ambition, the new trailer suggests things are going to become very messy indeed.
Evans, who also executive produced the drama through his production company Stoic Productions, offered a suitably mischievous tease while presenting an award at the National Television Awards:
“Yes, I’m back on ITV in October with my new drama, The Party. It’s full of sex, betrayal, secrets, closeted love and some very, very bad behaviour, so naturally I felt right at home!”
That mixture of class, sexuality and the feeling of being an outsider appears to be key to Martin. Speaking at a recent press conference, Evans said he found a very personal connection with the character:
“I understood him and I felt for his character…I felt I could bring an authenticity to him…That’s probably why I resonated with the story in the first place.”
Evans also spoke about how his own experience of growing up in a small village in Wales before moving to London at seventeen informed his understanding of Martin, particularly that sense of watching, listening and learning how to navigate unfamiliar spaces.
The relationship between Martin and Ben is another major part of ‘The Party’. Evans described the decades-spanning connection between the two men, and his work with Tom Cullen, as something they wanted to make feel truthful:
“Yeah, Tom is straight and I’m gay, but there was no discomfort that [our characters] could fall in love, because that story is really the thing that should break everyone’s hearts. We both knew that we wanted this to feel beautiful and passionate and tragic and real. We were also just really good friends, which I think helped a lot.”
Meanwhile, author Elizabeth Day has had the slightly surreal experience of seeing characters she created almost a decade ago brought to life on screen. She has also managed to sneak herself into the adaptation, appearing as a supporting artist in the opening montage of episode one.
“Blow me down, I’m in the opening montage! It was an immense privilege; it’s the first time I’ve been lucky enough to be on set on a drama and it really brought home to me how it takes not just a village but a city of incredibly talented and dedicated people.”
For screenwriter Sarah Solemani, one of the strongest draws was the story’s focus on Britain’s class system and how it shapes opportunity, identity and power. That sits alongside the series’ other themes of sexuality, social climbing, old money, new money, deceit and the struggle to live authentically.
The five-part drama is produced by World Productions (Line of Duty, Vigil), with Solemani adapting Day’s novel for television. Evans also serves as an executive producer through Stoic Productions.
‘The Party‘ premieres in October on ITV1 and STV, with streaming on ITVX and STV Player.
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