Luke Evans to star in new drama based on Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel The Party
With the actor also taking on executive producer duties on the project, Luke Evans will star in a new five-part ITV drama based on Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel The Party.
Luke Evans will star in and executive produce a new five-part ITV drama based on Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel The Party.
The series, which began filming last month, is described as a psychological thriller exploring friendship, class and betrayal.
ITV confirmed The Party will be adapted for television by Sarah Solemani and produced by World Productions, the company behind Line of Duty and Vigil.
Luke, 46, will play journalist Martin Gilmour, while Tom Cullen will star opposite him as wealthy and ambitious politician Ben Fitzmaurice.
The adaptation closely follows the novel’s plot, which centres on Martin’s complex, decades-long friendship with Ben.
Their story unfolds over the course of a lavish birthday celebration at Ben’s country estate, with flashbacks tracing the men’s lives from boarding school to adulthood.
The dinner party of the title spirals into chaos as political scandal and long-buried secrets collide.
Speaking about the project, Luke said: “From the moment I read Elizabeth Day’s novel, I knew it had the makings of something truly special for television. To now be bringing The Party to life – both as an actor and as an executive producer through Stoic Productions – is incredibly rewarding.
“Sarah Solemani’s adaptation captures the emotional depth and tension of the story perfectly, and to collaborate once again with World Productions and ITV, alongside such an extraordinary cast, is a real privilege. The Party is a gripping exploration of loyalty, class, and the truths we hide, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”
The official synopsis describes Martin as a scholarship student raised by his single mother Sylvia, played by Joanna Scanlan.
His friendship with Ben grants him access to a world of privilege, but their loyalty is tested as adulthood brings power and pressure.
When Ben considers a bid for political leadership, Martin fears that the secrets of their past will resurface with tragic consequences.
The cast also includes Sarah, who plays Martin’s pregnant wife Lucy, Lydia Leonard as Ben’s wife Serena, and Lindsay Duncan and Douglas Hodge as Ben’s aristocratic parents Lady Katherine and Lord George Fitzmaurice.
Additional cast members include Sam Troughton, Sally Scott, Sinéad Matthews, Bally Gill, Amaka Okafor and Rakie Ayola.
Author Elizabeth said: “I am so thrilled to see this wonderful adaptation of my novel, The Party, come to our screens. To be surrounded by this much talent both in front of and behind the camera is a real career highlight – I am incredibly grateful to the brilliant Luke Evans for championing my book in the first place and to everyone at World Productions and ITV who have been so steadfast in their vision for this project.
“I’m also very grateful to Sarah Solemani for lending her myriad talents to the adaptation.
“It’s unbelievably exciting to witness my characters and the imagined world they inhabit evolving into this compelling, new creative iteration. And yes, I’ve already asked to be an extra. Multiple times.”
The Party will air on ITV1 and STV, with streaming available on ITVX and STV Player.
