EASTENDERS STAR JAMES BYE IS MR. DARCY IN REGENCY MURDER MYSTERY ‘DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY’PLAYING THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON
TUE 2 SEP – SAT 6 SEP 2025
In just a few weeks’ time, James Bye (best known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC’s EastEnders for 10 years) will take to the Theatre Royal Brighton stage in the theatrical world premiere of DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY.
Following his explosive exit from EastEnders in the 40th anniversary live episode, James Bye will take on the role of Fitzwilliam Darcy in the production. James said: “After a decade of gritty storylines it’s going to be quite a switch to put on period clothes as one of literature’s romantic leading men.”
Based on the best-selling novel by P.D James, DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY is a tale of love, betrayal and intrigue set in Jane Austen’s Regency England.
This brand-new production from The Mill at Sonning and Studio RA is adapted by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff, the acclaimed writing team behind the hit stage adaptations The Girl on the Train and The Da Vinci Code. Directed by Jonathan Boyle, DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY revisits the much-loved world of Pride and Prejudice, combining Jane Austen’s timeless romance with a gripping murder mystery.
Six years after Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s happy union, their idyllic life at Pemberley is shattered when Elizabeth’s sister Lydia bursts in with shocking news: a man has been murdered in the woods, and suspicion falls on her husband, the notorious George Wickham. As the investigation unfolds, dark secrets emerge, tensions rise, and loyalties are tested, casting doubt on everyone’s innocence.
Audiences will have the opportunity to experience this Regency thriller in an authentic setting: Theatre Royal Brighton is one of the oldest continuously operating theatres in the country, dating back to 1807, and its auditorium represents one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in the country.
James Bye is joined by Jamie-Rose Duke (Casualty) as Elizabeth Darcy, Sean Rigby (Endeavour) as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan (Mrs Littlewood, RSC) as Georgina Darcy, Sam Woodhams (Mickey 17) as George Wickham/Will Bidwell, Mogali Masuku (As You Like It, RSC) as Lydia Wickham/Louisa Bidwell, Paul Jerricho (Casualty) as Mr Bidwell and others, and David Osmond (The Tempest, RSC) as Henry Alveston.
DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY will play at Theatre Royal Brighton from Tue 2 Sep – Sat 6 Sep 2025. Tickets are available via ATGtickets.com/Brighton.
