A tense, 12-hour birthday celebration at a country estate becomes the backdrop for a psychological collapse in The Party, a new five-part thriller that premiered on ITV. Adapted from Elizabeth Day’s novel, the series dissects the decades-long, toxic bond between two men whose secret queer romance curdles into obsession and betrayal under the weight of political ambition.
A Secret History and a Dangerous Obsession
The narrative is driven by the intense relationship between Martin Gilmour (Luke Evans) and Ben Fitzmaurice (Tom Cullen). The two meet as teenagers at an elite boarding school where, despite their starkly different class backgrounds, they form a deep emotional and romantic bond. Martin, from a working-class family, finds himself drawn into the orbit of the immensely wealthy Ben.
Flashbacks reveal the intimacy they shared, but the story's present-day tension stems from what followed. Their connection evolves into a one-sided obsession, with Martin remaining fiercely, almost pathologically, loyal to Ben for decades. This loyalty is tested to its limit when Martin serves prison time to protect Ben after a shared tragedy, an act fueled by a love that has remained unspoken and unrequited ever since.
The Politics of Repression
The series uses this deeply personal history to critique a very public phenomenon: political hypocrisy. In the present, Ben Fitzmaurice is a rising star and frontrunner for the leadership of the Conservative party. To secure his political future, he has meticulously erased his past, marrying a woman and, in a final act of betrayal, actively campaigning on a platform of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
It is this weaponization of queer identity for political gain that serves as the catalyst for the story's violent turn. Ben’s public disavowal of his own history becomes an unbearable trigger for Martin, causing the suppressed tensions of their shared past to finally erupt.
Authenticity Behind the Camera
Out actor Luke Evans, who stars as the tormented Martin, also serves as an executive producer on the project. His involvement was key to ensuring the queer themes were handled with authenticity. In interviews, both Evans and co-star Tom Cullen noted their conscious effort to portray the palpable "sexual electricity" of their characters' history, rather than diluting it into a simple friendship.
Evans highlighted the importance of showing the devastating psychological damage caused by such extreme repression. Cullen added that he felt a significant responsibility in portraying how internalized shame, especially under the high-stakes pressure of public life, can ultimately destroy people. Their focus was on the human cost of a closet built to protect power.
