After the Party, a six-part New Zealand drama series, premieres on ABC TV on Sunday, 28 April. The show stars Robyn Malcolm as Penny, a woman whose life is turned upside down when she accuses her husband, Phil (played by Peter Mullan), of a sex crime against her daughter’s teenage friend. Penny’s accusation falls on deaf ears, and she finds herself alone as her world comes crashing down.
Five years later, Phil returns from Scotland and moves in with Penny’s daughter, Grace (Tara Canton), and her grandchild. Grace pleads with Penny to let go of the past and move forward. However, when Phil takes up a teaching position, Penny’s suspicions resurface, and she becomes obsessed with proving his guilt. This reignites old tensions and opens barely healed wounds, pushing Grace to sever ties with her mother.
Penny finds herself at a crossroads, forced to choose between her unwavering pursuit of the truth and her fragile relationship with her daughter. Should she persist in her quest for justice, or let it go to salvage her bond with Grace?
After the Party is a gripping and intense drama that explores the complexities of family dynamics, the pursuit of truth, and the consequences of unwavering determination. The series has received critical acclaim, with NZ critic Duncan Greive praising it as “a dark, tense and highly provocative drama which will rattle uneasily around your mind for days.”
After the Party makes its debut on ABC and ABC iview on Sunday, 28 April at 8:30 pm, with all episodes available for streaming on ABC iview.
