The Party on ITV: What time is it on tonight? Cast, plot, filming locations and how to watch

The Party starts on ITV1 tonight (Sunday, October 11) at 9pm, with the five-part drama also available to stream on ITVX. Starring Luke Evans, Tom Cullen and Joanna Scanlan, the gripping thriller is based on Elizabeth Day’s acclaimed novel and explores a lifelong friendship threatened by secrets, political ambition and a birthday party that takes a shocking turn.

A glamorous country-house birthday party, a rising Conservative politician and a friendship hiding decades of secrets are at the heart of The Party, ITV’s new five-part drama arriving on Sunday night.

The series stars Welsh actor Luke Evans as political journalist Martin Gilmour, whose lifelong devotion to wealthy politician Ben Fitzmaurice, played by Tom Cullen, is tested when events threaten to expose the truth about their shared past.

Based on Elizabeth Day’s acclaimed novel, The Party moves between the dramatic events of Ben’s birthday celebrations, the police investigation that follows and flashbacks to the two men’s schooldays, university years and time in London.

With questions of privilege, identity, loyalty and shame running through the story, the drama promises a tense mystery as well as an examination of what it means to belong.

Read an interview with Luke Evans about The Party, here.

What time is The Party on ITV tonight?

The Party starts on Sunday, October 11, at 9pm on ITV1.

The opening episode is scheduled to run from 9pm until 10pm, launching the five-part series.

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time: 9pm
Channel: ITV1
Streaming: ITVX
Episodes: Five

How to watch The Party on ITVX

Viewers can watch The Party on ITV1 at 9pm or stream it through ITVX.

To watch online, visit the ITVX website or open the ITVX app on a compatible smart TV, phone, tablet or streaming device. Viewers can use ITVX to watch available programmes live or on demand, subject to the service’s availability and account requirements.

If you miss the opening episode on television, check ITVX for the episode’s on-demand availability.

What is The Party about?

The Party follows Martin Gilmour, a political journalist whose life has been shaped by his intense, lifelong friendship with Ben Fitzmaurice, a wealthy and charismatic Conservative politician with ambitions to reach the top of his party.

Martin grew up in South Wales with his working-class mother, Sylvia, after his father died in an industrial accident. Winning a scholarship to an elite boarding school gives him the opportunity to enter a world far removed from his upbringing. It is there that he meets Ben, whose family, wealth and social standing offer Martin the sense of belonging he has always wanted.

The two boys form a powerful bond, and Martin remains fiercely loyal to Ben into adulthood. But their friendship is not as straightforward as it appears, with a secret from their past having already caused a profound shift in their relationship.

Three decades later, Martin is invited to Ben’s lavish birthday party at the Fitzmaurice family’s country estate. The celebrations are thrown into turmoil when news breaks that the Conservative Party leader has resigned, opening the door for Ben to consider a leadership bid of his own.

Ben’s political rival, Jarvis Conrad, also intends to stand. While Martin warns his friend against acting impulsively, Ben wants him to help undermine Jarvis’s ambitions.

Martin fears that a high-profile political campaign will bring unwanted attention to their past and expose secrets that could have tragic consequences.

As the party descends into chaos, the drama moves between the events of that night, the police investigation that follows and flashbacks revealing how Martin and Ben’s relationship developed over the years.

The central question is whether Martin can continue protecting the man to whom he has devoted so much of his life — or whether the truth will finally destroy the bond between them.

The Party episode 1: What happens in the first episode?

The opening episode introduces Martin as he arrives at Ben’s lavish birthday party, where the news of the Conservative Party leader’s resignation threatens to overshadow the celebrations.

Ben’s political nemesis, Jarvis Conrad, intends to stand for election, and Ben is determined that Martin should help damage his rival’s prospects.

Martin tries to discourage his friend from making a knee-jerk decision, but his attempts to derail Jarvis’s bid risk bringing long-buried secrets back into the open.

The episode also flashes back to Martin’s childhood in Wales, his scholarship to an elite boarding school and his first encounters with Ben. Martin’s fascination with his new friend grows as he visits the Fitzmaurices’ country estate and meets Ben’s twin sister, Phoebe, who appears to recognise the truth behind the boys’ unusually close bond.

As revelations from their past begin to emerge, Martin faces a difficult question: can he keep Ben’s impulses under control and prevent the situation from ending in tragedy?

The Party cast: Who stars in the ITV drama?

The series features a strong ensemble cast led by Luke Evans, Tom Cullen and Joanna Scanlan.

Luke Evans as Martin Gilmour

Martin is a political journalist whose work frequently appears to favour Ben Fitzmaurice’s position. Raised by his working-class mother in South Wales, he enters an elite world through a scholarship and becomes deeply attached to Ben and his family.

As an adult, Martin remains determined to preserve his place in Ben’s circle, even as their shared history and his friend’s growing political ambitions threaten to expose uncomfortable truths.

Luke Evans is known for roles in Nine Perfect Strangers, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Murder Mystery and the Fast & Furious franchise.

Tom Cullen as Ben Fitzmaurice

Ben is a confident, charismatic Conservative MP born into a wealthy aristocratic family. With political ambitions and a gift for commanding a room, he appears to have enjoyed every advantage in life.

But beneath his charm and bluster are unresolved emotions and decisions from his past that threaten to catch up with him. As the events of his birthday party spiral out of control, Ben is forced to confront what he has tried to leave behind.

Tom Cullen has appeared in The Gold, The Gold actor’s other period and contemporary dramas, Trespasses and House of the Dragon.

Sarah Solemani as Lucy Farni

Lucy is Martin’s pregnant wife, whose witty, offbeat personality sits uneasily alongside the extravagant world of Ben and his family.

A former university acquaintance of Martin and Ben, she works in children’s publishing and is firmly left-wing, making her an unlikely fit for the privileged social circle surrounding the Fitzmaurices. She and Martin have a warmth and humour that bind them together, but her links to Jarvis add another complication to the party.

Sarah Solemani also adapted the novel for television.

Lydia Leonard as Serena Fitzmaurice

Serena is Ben’s wife and the mother of their four children. A former high-flying lawyer and party girl, she now projects an image of elegance, wealth and composure.

However, Serena is far more formidable than her polished exterior suggests. When her carefully controlled world comes under threat, she can be ruthless — and old temptations may become increasingly difficult to resist.

Lydia Leonard is known for Gentleman Jack, Wolf Hall and Ten Percent.

Joanna Scanlan as Sylvia Gilmour

Sylvia is Martin’s mother, who raised him alone after her husband died in an industrial accident when Martin was ten.

A humble, religious nurse, Sylvia offers her son warmth, strength and unconditional support as he navigates the privileged and often turbulent world of the Fitzmaurice family.

BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan has appeared in After Love and Riot Women.

Lindsay Duncan as Lady Katherine Fitzmaurice

Lady Katherine is Ben’s mother and a pillar of aristocratic restraint. Having lost her daughter at a young age, she has had to draw on considerable composure and forgiveness to continue with her life.

Lindsay Duncan’s credits include The Morning Show and His Dark Materials.

Douglas Hodge as Lord George Fitzmaurice

Lord George is Ben’s father and the embodiment of old money, status and influence. Ruthless, charming and focused, he has worked hard to secure his son’s place at the top of British society.

Douglas Hodge has appeared in The Night Manager, The Great and I Hate Suzie Too.

Other cast members

The supporting cast includes:

Amaka Okafor, known for Bodies and Black Rabbit
Bally Gill, whose credits include Slow Horses
Sally Scott, known for Black Doves and The Tower
Sam Troughton, who has appeared in Chernobyl and Lockerbie: A Search for Truth
Sinéad Matthews, known for The Crown and Hullraisers
Rakie Ayola, whose credits include The Pact 2 and Grace

Elizabeth Day, the author of the original novel, also makes a cameo appearance.

Where was The Party filmed?

Although Elizabeth Day’s original novel is set in the Cotswolds, the television adaptation was filmed in South Wales, drawing on the region’s landscapes and locations to reflect Martin’s roots.

Filming began in October 2025, with production taking place in and around Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Reported locations include:

Llanharan House, Rhondda Cynon Taf: The historic Grade II-listed Georgian mansion was used for the elaborate birthday-party scenes at the centre of the drama.
Roath Park, Cardiff: The park was among the locations used during filming.
Mill Lane, Cardiff: A bar in the city-centre street was also used for scenes.
Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan: Luke Evans was spotted enjoying downtime in the area during the production period.

The decision to film in South Wales also connects the adaptation to Luke Evans’s Welsh background and the story’s focus on Martin’s upbringing.

Is The Party based on a book?

Yes. The drama is based on Elizabeth Day’s 2017 novel The Party, adapted for television by award-winning writer Sarah Solemani.

The story’s themes of class, belonging, secrecy and the desire to be accepted have been carried into the screen version, alongside its political tensions and exploration of a complicated friendship.

The television adaptation is produced by World Productions in association with Stoic Productions and ITV Studios. Luke Evans is also an executive producer, alongside Sarah Solemani, Elizabeth Day and the production team.

What is The Party about beyond the mystery?

While the birthday party and its aftermath provide the drama’s central mystery, The Party also explores the social divisions that shape Martin and Ben’s lives.

Martin comes from a working-class background and enters Ben’s privileged world as an outsider. The friendship offers him acceptance, but it also leaves him dependent on a family whose wealth and influence give them power over his future.

Ben, meanwhile, has been raised with the confidence that comes from inherited status. His political ambitions bring the relationship into sharper focus, particularly when his decisions threaten to expose the past.

The series also examines identity, devotion, shame and the cost of hiding parts of yourself to maintain a place in someone else’s world.

As the story shifts between the birthday party, the police investigation and the characters’ earlier lives, the mystery becomes about more than what happened on one night. It is also about how far people will go to protect the lives they have built — and what happens when the truth can no longer be contained.

When is The Party on ITV?

The Party begins on Sunday, October 11, at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The new drama runs for five episodes, with the opening instalment introducing Martin and Ben’s friendship, the political crisis surrounding Ben’s ambitions and the secrets threatening to unravel at his birthday party.

For viewers looking for a tense new Sunday-night drama, The Party combines a mystery-driven story with an examination of privilege, politics and a friendship that may be far more fragile than it appears.