Being a Guinness is never simple, and Ivana Lowell, a direct descendant of the famous brewing dynasty, knows this better than anyone. She’s now the creative force behind ‘House of Guinness,’ a captivating new Netflix drama.
Dubbed ‘Succession’ with a hefty dose of beer and brutality by The Times of London, the series features stars like James Norton and Louis Partridge. It kicks off with the dramatic passing of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the 19th-century brand owner and Ireland’s wealthiest man, then plunges into the fierce struggle among his four children for control of their stout-built empire.
The concept for the show first sparked in Ms. Lowell’s mind over ten years ago, during a Christmas holiday at her cousin Desmond Guinness’s 12th-century castle in County Kildare. Desmond, an Anglo-Irish aesthete, was the son of a baron and famously linked to the Mitford sisters.
“I was at Leixlip with Desmond and a host of other Guinness relatives,” the 59-year-old Ms. Lowell shared from London. “We were casually watching ‘Downton Abbey’ when it hit me: our family’s story is far more intriguing and unconventional.”
Upon returning to Sag Harbor, New York, Ms. Lowell developed a treatment detailing the origins of the iconic beer, starting with its inventor, Arthur Guinness— “He’s the face on every bottle,” she quipped. The narrative then follows the family’s rise to prominence, culminating with Sir Benjamin, who oversaw Europe’s largest brewery.
It took another six years for Ms. Lowell to join forces with Steven Knight, the brilliant mind behind ‘Peaky Blinders.’ Knight’s vision for the story finally propelled ‘House of Guinness’ out of development hell and into full production.
(Image: Ivana Lowell was watching “Downton Abbey” some years ago when it struck her that the stories of her own family could be the stuff of a show.)
“Steven envisioned opening the series with the dramatic reading of Benjamin’s will,” Ms. Lowell explained. “Benjamin bequeaths the brewery and his entire fortune to his two sons, setting the stage for an intense struggle for power.”
Against the industrial landscape of 19th-century Dublin—though filmed in Northern England—a city in the throes of a revolutionary uprising against British rule, ‘House of Guinness’ presents a stark contrast to its more genteel predecessors.
(Image: Actor James Norton embodies the character of Sean Rafferty, the foreman, in the new drama ‘House of Guinness.’)
“This isn’t ‘Downton Abbey’ at all; it’s raw and intense,” Ms. Lowell revealed, admitting, “I’m quite anxious about how my family will react.”
However, her concerns may be unfounded. The sprawling Guinness clan, well-known for attracting media attention, possesses a strong awareness of their own impact. “My family members are incredibly dramatic, eccentric, and have a fantastic sense of humor,” she added. “These are tales I’ve always grown up with. But since it’s a drama and not a historical documentary, Steven had the creative freedom to add his own twists.”
Steven Knight found the family’s narrative to be a goldmine of inspiration. “It felt like an embarrassment of riches,” he shared in an email, “though thankfully, the Guinnesses aren’t easily embarrassed.”
One particular fictional detail was entirely Ms. Lowell’s idea: “I wanted a handsome foreman who frequently took off his shirt,” she confessed, referring to the character brought to life by James Norton.
‘House of Guinness’ isn’t Ms. Lowell’s first time delving into her family’s past. Her 2010 memoir, ‘Why Not Say What Happened?’, calmly detailed the traumatic experience of growing up in a decaying English manor with parents and guardians who were, at best, profoundly negligent.
In her memoir, Ms. Lowell reveals the shocking truth of being sexually abused at age six by her nanny’s husband. A severe kettle accident left her with permanent third-degree burns. She also discovered that the man she thought was her father, Israel Citkowitz, was not related to her; her biological father was screenwriter Ivan Moffatt, one of her mother’s many lovers. Tragically, her sister Natayla passed away from a heroin overdose at just 18.
“I honestly don’t know how I made it through,” Ms. Lowell reflected. “I believe it’s because I had no other frame of reference. Being burned, raped, and abused was simply my reality. When you don’t know any different, you accept it as normal. The unique Guinness family humor definitely offered some solace.”
A dark sense of humor is a hallmark of the Guinness family. Ms. Lowell recalled their go-to phrase whenever things went awry: “This is bad, even for us.”
(Image: In her 2010 memoir, ‘Why Not Say What Happened?’, Ms. Lowell bravely shared her family’s extraordinary story.)
During the series’ development, she drew heavily from stories told by her grandmother, Maureen Guinness, and her mother, Lady Caroline Blackwood—a brilliant, sharp-tongued, and alcoholic writer who had been married to figures like painter Lucian Freud and American poet Robert Lowell.
“My grandmother Maureen and her sisters, Aileen and Oonagh, famously known as the ‘Glorious Guinness Girls,’ could easily have an entire series dedicated to their scandalous adventures,” Ms. Lowell commented. “That generation was utterly spoiled, indulged, and faced no consequences for their actions.”