Gua Sha, '90s Dance Anthems and a Couple of Pints—House of Guinness Star Niamh McCormack Takes Us Inside the Show’s London Premiere
Picturehouse Central, a storied cinema in London's Piccadilly Circus, is no stranger to premieres. But on Tuesday evening, it was completely transformed into the image of a honky-tonk distillery for the official UK screening of House of Guinness, Netflix's highly anticipated historical drama set to be released on September 25, 2025.
It chronicles the four heirs to the Guinness brewery following the death of the family’s patriarch in a bid to secure the future of the country’s most famous drop of stout. Backdropping this battle of succession is a rebellion against the status quo that’s bubbling up from the streets, with working-class rebels fighting for Ireland’s republican status amidst a state of political turmoil. The latest from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, the eight-part series takes place in the late 1800s and is set in the Irish capital, so it’s fitting that the premiere venue's usually plush red interiors and neon-lit candy bar were disguised with fake oak barrels and industrial chains.
Taking Who What Wear UK along for the event was breakout star Niamh McCormack. The 24-year-old Irish actress portrays a "determined" insurgent named Ellen Cochrane, though it could be said that the release party was almost as action-packed as the real-life incidents that inspired the show.
Where House of Guinness sees McCormack swaddled in mud-stained coarse-fabric petticoats, her looks for the show’s press couldn’t be further from the costumes donned. McCormack has opted for a form of "method dressing", a stylish decision in which an actor decides to pay homage to their character through their clothing choices during the press run.
She has previously worn a Victorian era-esque set from the Shanghai-based brand Shushu/Tong, but McCormack’s press tour culminated with a stunning gathered Loewe minidress. An admirable nod to the creative prowess and talent of Northern Irish fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, the dress was completed with a ruffled Flamenco hemline and topped off with stunning Cartier jewellery.
"It is important to acknowledge new and emerging designers as well as the established fashion houses," explains McCormack. "It is a dialogue between past and future." Personally, I can’t think of a better fashion tether to a series that recounts the fate, tragedies and fortunes of one of the most successful dynasties in Europe. But before House of Guinness hits the small screen, we caught up with McCormack pre-premiere to discuss everything from her glam rituals and the best place in town to get a pint of the black stuff, as the beer’s adherents colloquially call it. (Hint: It’s not The Devonshire in Soho, where the cast kicked on afterwards for a Guinness-pouring contest.)
Scroll on to read our conversation in full.
