On Thursday night, Vanity Fair and Apple TV+ came together to celebrate the upcoming premiere of the new series Down Cemetery Road at the Soho Mews House. The show, based on the novel by Slow Horses author Mick Herron, will premiere globally on the platform starting October 29, with new episodes airing throughout the fall. It centers on the mysterious disappearance of a little girl in a quiet Oxford suburb and a neighbor, played by Ruth Wilson, who enlists the help of a private investigator, played by Emma Thompson, to try to find her.
When asked about working together, Wilson quipped that it was “awful.” Thompson laughed: “It was really hard.” But seriously, “We actually took the job in order to work together,” Thompson explained. “We’ve admired each other for a long time. And because once Ruth played my mother in Saving Mr. Banks.” Wilson cracked back, “I’ve actually de-aged over the years.”
The event was a celebration for Thompson and Wilson, who had spent the day doing press to promote the show. They chatted with fellow cast member Fehinti Balogun as Thompson sipped the signature martini she made famous during her Golden Globes appearance in 2014, then made her way around the room, joking with guests.
Apple TV+’s creative director for Europe, Jay Hunt, was in attendance. Hunt, who is also the chair of the British Film Institute, is responsible for bringing the smash-hits Slow Horses and Bad Sisters to Apple—but on Thursday, she was just there to celebrate with Thompson and Wilson, both of whom ran up to hug and kiss her as she entered the room.
Soho Mews, which opened just last year and remains the most exclusive of the London-based Soho Houses, proved to be the perfect host for the party. Guests sampled specialty cocktails named The Burning Truth and Mist Over the Oxford, as well as lots of Champagne. A selection of canapés included an elevated avocado toast and tomato tart, among other delicious vegan and non-vegan bites.
