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.

EXCLUSIVE: FREEAgent, the podcast series hosted by creative entrepreneur Kenny Annan-Jonathan, returns today for its second season.

In its first run, the pod became known for its high-profile guests, with names across fashion, business, and sports joining Annan-Jonathan to discuss their careers. Guests included Naomi Osaka’s longtime agent Stuart Duguid and veteran executive Rich Kleiman.

FREEAgent season two launches today with an episode featuring streetwear pioneer Jeff Staple.

“Everyone knows Jeff as ‘the Pigeon Dunk guy,’ but his story is much deeper than that,” Annan-Jonathan said of Staple. “He’s a trailblazer and one of the forefathers of global streetwear. He’s celebrating 30 years of STAPLE.”

Staple is one of the most influential designers and creative execs of his generation. He launched STAPLE, an independent streetwear brand, in 1997. Over its decades-long run, STAPLE has collaborated with companies like Nike, Google, New Balance, Timberland, Puma, and LVMH. Staple is perhaps best known for creating the iconic Nike SB “Pigeon” Dunk — one of the most influential sneakers of all time. Staple is also the founder of Reed Art Department, an influential creative and marketing agency.

Annan-Jonathan continued: “The real substance of our conversation centres on his redesigned agency and what it means to bridge the gap between the corporate and creative worlds. He’s a cultural translator who understands both sides. Most creators are raw. They don’t always know how to convert their creativity into revenue or communicate their message commercially. Jeff’s story gives you details about the projects he pursued, the times he was turned down, and what he had to do to make things work.”

FREEAgent episodes will once again drop weekly. The guests are predominantly high-profile figures working between sports and creative arts who rarely speak publicly, yet still wield widespread influence in their industry.

“Season one was really good. I think it was a powerful introduction,” Annan-Jonathan said, adding that he is simply aiming to “widen the knowledge pool” and “build on the conversations that came before” in his second season.

“You might listen to Rich Kleiman and learn one part of the story. Then, when you hear one of his counterparts within the same space, you get a clearer picture of the wider ecosystem,” Annan-Jonathan explained.

“Then you can hear from someone in an adjacent business or on the brand side, and you gain more insight into how brands work with law and legal teams. From there, you understand how talent managers and the people behind the businesses work.”

He added: “My goal is to cover the ecosystem of sports, entertainment, and media—from the point of inception, whatever that may be, all the way to the end.”

Annan-Jonathan added that the FREEAgent podcast also gives him the opportunity to celebrate important cultural figures who are rarely championed publicly for their work.

“Season two is about continuing to stand on the shoulders of giants while celebrating people doing amazing things,” he said. “I think people should be given their flowers.”

Annan-Jonathan is the founder of the marketing and talent management agency The Mailroom and media house Trnsmission. In 2023, he was appointed Creative Director of English Premier League side Crystal Palace, the first such role established at a professional English club. He is also Sports Director at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

FREEAgent podcast episodes drop weekly. The Jeff Staple episode is live now.