Luke Evans has said his new ITV thriller The Party “offers a glimpse into the British class system” that remains “particularly visible” in the UK.
Evans said the adaptation of the Elizabeth Day novel, which launched on ITV last night, shows how the class system “remains more prevalent here than in almost any other country.”
The Sarah Solemani-adapted thriller sees Evans play journalist Martin Gilmour, who is shaped by his lifelong friendship with the wealthy and charismatic politician Ben Fitzmaurice (Tom Cullen). Having met at an elite boarding school, Martin and Ben have an unbreakable bond. Three decades on, Martin is invited to Ben’s lavish birthday party at the Fitzmaurice’s country pile, but Martin fears that the publicity of Ben’s bid for Conservative leader will dredge up the secrets of their past with tragic consequences.
The Hobbit star Evans, who grew up in a village in Wales and comes from a working-class background, said he “relates to the way Martin climbs the ladder and manoeuvres his way into the upper echelons of society.”
“The idea of being born with a silver spoon is very much alive and well,” said Evans. “Other countries may have class divisions, but ours are particularly visible. The show shines a light on a world I didn’t know much about as a working-class boy.”
Evans said this close-knit examination of the British class system will serve The Party well when ITV Studios is shopping it to global buyers, as he chatted to Deadline at MIPCOM, where it is one of the distributor’s key titles alongside shows like Steven Moffat’s Number 10.
It was Evans, in fact, who brought the hit novel from the How to Fail podcast host to ITV Studios-owned World Productions, with whom he had worked on ITV’s hit drama The Pembrokeshire Murders.
Evans read The Party during the pandemic and thought it had “the perfect ingredients for a great drama.” His company Stoic Productions has a production credit.
“I’ve always liked the behind-the-scenes and developmental side of projects because you learn so much about how a book can be adapted into a script,” he said. “Being on the production side of a project has taught me that you really have to believe in people. There are peaks and troughs. As an actor, I look at things differently from someone who isn’t in that position, so I think I was able to bring some value to the post-production process.”
Evans is constantly keeping an eye on buzzy IP, reading “stories, newspaper articles, ideas or simply something that inspires me,” he said.
He was attracted to the character of Martin because he’s “complex, deep and thoughtful.” “I understood Martin very quickly,” he added. “I thought he would be a great role to play and an interesting journey to go on. He’s ambitious and ruthless, but also comes with danger, tragedy and consequences. Martin is covered in scars and carrying secrets, and all of that makes for a compelling story.”
The Party launched last night on ITV to a peak of nearly 1.5 million viewers and will likely accrue many more on ITVX. ITV Studios is selling The Party at MIPCOM.