Louis Partridge

In House of Guinness (2025), Louis Partridge's Edward is the sober sibling trying to keep things in check. That gives him a useful place among the family's competing grievances, and he helps make the ensemble worth following. We rate the performance as part of that collective achievement, rather than the main reason to watch. Anthony Boyle's Arthur and Emily Fairn's Anne do more of the work of making the family's private unhappiness matter.

His breakthrough as Viscount Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes (2020) made a different demand: charm with enough vulnerability to keep the young romantic lead interesting. His chemistry with Millie Bobby Brown helped, and Enola Holmes 2 (2022) returned him to the part. Period clothes have remained a familiar part of his work, with Edward extending the run of aristocratic characters. The attraction of that casting is clear, though we would not want it to become the only use found for him.

Danny Boyle's Pistol (2022) offered a departure, casting him as Sid Vicious and requiring a committed physical performance. Partridge learnt bass and worked on the accent, making this a job with demands beyond the romantic appeal of Tewkesbury. Jonathan Brigstocke in Alfonso Cuarón's Disclaimer (2024) took him further into dramatic television. Those are sensible choices for an actor testing what else he can do, although the difference between the parts is not, by itself, a reason to praise the acting.

Back among the Guinness siblings, we felt for Arthur and Anne more than we expected, because Boyle and Fairn made the personal hurt behind the scheming credible. Partridge and Fionn O'Shea, as Benjamin, supply enough contrast to stop those scenes becoming repetitive. The restraint of Edward is a direction we would like Partridge to pursue, provided the roles give him more to do than keep everyone else in order. Try House of Guinness for the family performances, and be prepared to forgive the uneven pacing.