Following his explosive exit from EastEnders in the 40th anniversary live episode, James Bye will star as Mr. Darcy in the theatrical world premiere of Death Comes to Pemberley. This production is based on P.D. James’s inspired sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.
Adapted by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff, the acclaimed writing team behind the hit stage adaptations of The Girl on the Train and The Da Vinci Code, and directed by Joe Harmston, Death Comes to Pemberley promises to be a spellbinding theatrical event.
James Bye expressed his excitement, saying, “I am leaving EastEnders on an absolute high after the explosive live 40th anniversary episode. 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, but I can’t wait for this new chapter to begin.”
The world premiere stage production of P.D. James’s best-selling novel is a tale of love, betrayal, and intrigue set in Regency England. Step into the world of Pride and Prejudice like never before with a riveting new stage adaptation that combines Jane Austen’s timeless romance with a gripping murder mystery imagined by master storyteller, the ‘Queen of Crime’ P.D. James.
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.
The cast includes:
- James Bye as Fitzwilliam Darcy
- Jamie-Rose Duke as Elizabeth Darcy
- Celia Cruwys-Finnigan as Georgina Darcy
- Sean Rigby as Colonel Fitzwilliam
- Paul Jerricho as Mr. Bidwell and others
- Sam Woodhams as George Wickham/Will Bidwell
- David Osmond as Henry Alveston
- Mogali Masuku as Lydia Wickham/Louisa Bidwell
More cast members will be announced soon.
The creative team features:
- Adaptation by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff
- Direction by Joe Harmston
- Set Design by Sean Cavanagh
- Costume & Hair Design by Natalie Titchener
- Lighting Design by Mike Robertson
- Musical Direction by David Osmond
- Casting by Kate Plantin CDG
- Production Management by Joan Farnese (The Mill at Sonning) and Nick May (Tour)
Death Comes to Pemberley will premiere at The Mill at Sonning from 1 May to 28 June, before touring to various theatres across the UK, including Windsor Theatre Royal, Cardiff New Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Bromley Churchill Theatre, Wycombe Swan, Brighton Theatre Royal, and Richmond Theatre.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
