Following his explosive exit from EastEnders in the 40th anniversary live episode last week, James Bye will star as Mr. Darcy in the theatrical world premiere of Death Comes To Pemberley by P.D. James at The Mill at Sonning from 1 May-28 June before touring.

Based on the inspired sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and adapted by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff, the production will then tour to Windsor, Cardiff, Bath, Guildford, Bromley, High Wycombe, Brighton, and Richmond.

James Bye said: “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.

Premiering during the 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, this spellbinding production delivers romance, intrigue, and drama, now wrapped in a suspenseful whodunnit. It’s a must-see theatrical event that will leave you breathless!

Starring alongside James Bye as Fitzwilliam Darcy will be Jamie-Rose Duke (Casualty, BBC) as Elizabeth Darcy, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan (Mrs Littlewood, RSC) as Georgina Darcy, Sean Rigby (Endeavour) as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Paul Jerricho (Gaslight, Salisbury Playhouse) as Mr Bidwell and others, Sam Woodhams (The Picture of Dorian Gray, King’s Head Theatre) as George Wickham/Will Bidwell, David Osmond (The Tempest, RSC) as Henry Alveston, and Mogali Masuku (As You Like It, RSC) as Lydia Wickham/Louisa Bidwell, with further cast to be announced.

The production will be directed by Joe Harmston, with set design by Sean Cavanagh, costumes & hair design by Natalie Titchener, lighting by Mike Robertson, musical direction by David Osmond, and casting by Kate Plantin CDG.

For more info on Death Comes To Pemberley, please click here.