Luke Evans has admitted he gets anxiety just thinking about his new ITV drama, The Party, an adaptation of Elizabeth Day's 2017 novel. Speaking on set at Dragon Studios in Bridgend, Wales, Evans described the show as a study of anxiety, following Martin Gilmore, an insecure man whose secrets unravel at a lavish black-tie party.
The six-week shoot is underway for the five-episode drama, with Evans also serving as a developer. He brought on actress and writer Sarah Solemani to adapt the book, which follows a 25-year friendship between Martin and Ben Fitzmaurice, an aristocrat. The story builds to Ben's 40th birthday party, where decades of tension reach a disastrous climax.
Personal parallels with Martin's story
Evans, who grew up in Aberbargoed in the South Wales valleys, said the role allowed him to reflect on his own journey. 'It allowed me to look at my journey through my own life and where I came from: a small village in South Wales with a religious background, an only child, and then I was dropped into college and later into a career in this business when none of my family are entertainers,' he said.
'My dad's a bricklayer, my mum's a housewife, and I had to adapt. I certainly did what Martin does, which was watch, listen and learn, adapt and keep adapting until you felt comfortable in your own skin.'
Anxiety and parties
Despite years of red carpets, Evans said he is not a fan of parties. 'I really am not a fan of them because you never feel like you get to really talk to anybody, and everyone's looking over each other's shoulders, looking for the biggest star or some opportunistic moment to get a photo with someone,' he said.
'Of course, I have to go to them, and that's fine, but I just would rather just slip away. It's not why I do what I do. I just love to entertain; that's the fun part of my job. These parties can be very awkward, especially because I don't live in LA, I don't know anybody, my friends are just normal people.'
Casting Tom Cullen
Evans said Tom Cullen was his first choice for the role of Ben from the moment he read the script. 'I've known Tom for about 12 years, after he ended up at a party in my house in London after the Baftas or something,' Evans said. 'He's got a good soul, he's a brilliant actor and he carries himself in a certain way, so it was just amazing that he actually said yes.'
Elizabeth Day, visiting the set for the first time, called it 'extraordinary and incredibly moving'. She said, 'It is such a pinch-me moment, coming to a studio like this, to walk in and see trailers with the names of my characters on them.'
Sequel plans
Asked about adapting Day's sequel One of Us, Evans was cautious. 'It's very dangerous to talk about sequels and the second series,' he said. 'Of course, it would be wonderful if this show lands and finds its audience, and people love it, they resonate with the characters, and really enjoy it.'
The Party premieres on Sunday October 11 at 9pm on ITV and will be available to stream on ITVX.
