A new ITV show will be adapting a popular novel nine years after its release.
Elizabeth Day has described the TV adaptation of her novel The Party as "almost a decade in the making."
The story unfolds around a lavish birthday party gone wrong, leading to a police investigation, and the series marks Day’s first book-to-TV adaptation.
Elizabeth Day excited for ITV adaptation of The Party
Ms Day said: "It was an amazing thing, but the book was published in 2017 – so it’s been almost a decade in the making for me."
Speaking during a Q&A following a press screening, she described the show as a story about "identity, belonging and self-acceptance," and joked that having her first novel adapted for television has "ruined everything else for me."
She revealed her excitement when she learned that Luke Evans, who also serves as an executive producer, was interested in the project.
Ms Day said: "It takes a long time and a lot of faith, and I could not believe it when I got the email from my agent saying: 'Luke Evans has read your book.'"
Despite the early interest, she said she did not fully believe the adaptation would happen until the table read.
She said: "I didn’t allow myself to believe it would happen until I was sitting at the table read, a script in front of me.
"I had one of Sarah’s amazing scripts, and watched Luke and Tom bring these characters who had only existed in my imagination to this breathtaking new life."
Ms Day said seeing certain scenes performed on screen "gives me absolute shivers."
She also spoke about the show’s themes, particularly Martin’s struggle to fit into Ben’s privileged world and the compromises he makes to belong.
She said: "For me, a successful life is an authentic life.
"It is a life where we are able to step into the authenticity of who we really are, so that we can drop the mask and drop the performance.
"I feel very privileged that I am now in that space where the person you see now at this exciting junket is the same person who you listen to on the podcast, is the same person at home stroking her cat, is the same person writing her novels, is the same person with her friends.
"But it took me a really long time to get there.
"I think that for me, it’s such a deeply important message.
"That really is the underpinning of this entire show.
"It is about identity and belonging and self-acceptance.
"True belonging is being accepted as you really are, and fitting in is changing yourself in some way."
Which actors are starring in the ITV adaptation of The Party?
The five-part ITV series is based on her 2017 thriller and stars Luke Evans as Martin Gilmour, a journalist whose life is shaped by his intense, lifelong friendship with wealthy politician Ben Fitzmaurice, played by Tom Cullen.
The series is written and created for ITV by award-winning showrunner Sarah Solemani, who also stars as Martin’s pregnant wife, Lucy.
The cast also includes Lindsay Duncan, Douglas Hodge, Joanna Scanlan, and Lydia Leonard.
Ms Day makes a brief appearance as an extra during one of the party scenes, an experience she described as an "immense privilege."
She said: "It’s the first time I’ve been lucky enough to be on set on a drama.
"It takes not just a village, but a city of incredibly talented and dedicated people.
"I feel so blessed to have these artists bring my novel to an entirely new, brilliant creative iteration.
"I’m just so delighted to see it come to fruition."
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The Party shifts between the night of the fateful celebration and the investigation that follows, using flashbacks to explore Martin and Ben’s shared history through school, university, and during their London party days.
The series will air on ITV1, STV, and ITVX later this year, with the official release date yet to be announced.
Have you read Elizabeth Day's novel The Party? Let us know in the comments.
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