Hampshire &amp; Isle of Wight


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/04/james-bye-mill-sonning-DCTP-James-Bye.jpg" alt="james bye death comes to pemberley mill at sonning theatre" class="wp-image-78333" /></figure>



<p>Debonaire, dashing, and complex – just a few of the words that spring to mind when thinking of Jane Austen’s most notable romantic hero. If there’s anyone up to the task of filling the bumper sized boots worn by the likes of Colin Firth and Matthew Rhys before him, it’s TV’s James Bye who is swapping Albert Square drama for regency gladrags.</p>



<p>The world premiere of&nbsp;<em><a href="https://millatsonning.com/shows/death-comes-to-pemberley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Death Comes to Pemberley</a></em>&nbsp;takes place at the Mill at Sonning Theatre on 1 May, running until 28 Jun before hitting the road on a UK tour. Based on the works of P.D James, the show follows Elizabeth Bennet (played by Jamie Rose-Duke) and Mr. Darcy as their new married life is shattered by news of a murder in the nearby woods. It’s the perfect whodunit, teeming with all the romance, tension and suspense you could wish for. I’m practically jittering with excitement. Muddy caught James in between rehearsals to find out more about his upcoming stage appearance.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/04/james-bye-mill-sonning-027_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley-Rehearsals_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="james bye interview theatre" class="wp-image-78325" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-you-re-playing-mr-darcy-is-there-any-pressure-taking-on-such-an-iconic-character">So, you’re playing Mr Darcy! Is there any pressure taking on such an iconic character?</h3>



<p>You know, there’s been a lot of press about me leaving&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>&nbsp;to do this, but it’s a challenge and I’ve always wanted to be outside my comfort zone and be able to play someone like Mr Darcy, this iconic character. When I read the script I was just like, I want to do that. It’s so beautifully written and he’s slightly different to what people will know. He’s matured since&nbsp;<em>Pride and Prejudice</em>&nbsp;and he’s not got this angst, this sort of crippling lack of confidence around certain people. Him and Elizabeth are happily married at home and we see a different side to him. So to answer your question, I’m like mega excited.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-you-dabbled-in-much-theatre-before">Have you dabbled in much theatre before?</h3>



<p>It’s been a long time. I did quite a bit of stage work when I left drama school back in, I’m giving away my age now, 2005 I left. So like 20 years ago. To be honest with you, I probably did more stage work earlier on in my career, then more TV as I got towards my 30s. The last time I was on stage was probably 15 years ago, although I did a panto two years ago at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. Being back in front of a live audience isn’t new, but this show requires a different set of skills, so I’m trying to dust all those off. It’s a bit like when we did the live&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>. It would have been very easy to have lost it and let it overwhelm you, but you just have to sort of find a moment and go, right, get your head in gear.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeling-nervous">Feeling nervous?</h3>



<p>Nerves are a funny thing, aren’t they? Luckily, I’ve never been crippled by nerves. I definitely get nervous, I’m not saying I don’t, but I feel they sort of help me. It’s all positive. We’ve worked really, really hard for the last few weeks, and it’s tough but in a good way. The story’s easy to tell in the sense that someone dies and we try to find out who it was, but it’s more about what happens to those characters that everyone knows and loves. It’s also written so of that era that the language is completely different. It’s not as far as Shakespeare, you’ll understand it, but the dialogue that’s really beautiful is quite difficult to wrap your head around sometimes.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/04/james-bye-mill-sonning-DCTP-Group.jpg" alt="james bye death comes to pemberley mill at sonning theatre" class="wp-image-78331" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-you-tell-us-about-the-show">What can you tell us about the show?</h3>



<p>I think it’s great if people don’t know the story of&nbsp;<em>Death Comes to Pemberley</em>, which if I’m honest, I hold my hands up, I didn’t know it before doing this play. It actually made me revisit&nbsp;<em>Pride and Prejudice</em>&nbsp;and makes me realise how much I loved these characters and what Jane Austen has done and why. You can see why it’s stood the test of time. It’s just genius – about humans and people existing and trying to make their way through life as best they can. We just pick all those characters up and literally put them in a war zone in this play. You’ll see a bit more tension than perhaps you would have in&nbsp;<em>Pride and Prejudice</em>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gossip-drama-tension-sounds-like-an-average-nbsp-eastenders-nbsp-episode-will-you-be-channeling-any-martin-fowler-into-your-role-or-is-he-history">Gossip, drama, tension – sounds like an average&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>&nbsp;episode! Will you be channeling any Martin Fowler into your role or is he history?</h3>



<p>Ha! No, no, no, I hope not. I mean, obviously Martin was very much a normal guy, like the every man. The one thing about him that always came across with the writing is that he was a family man and would do extraordinary things to protect his family. That was his number one. So, if there’s any similarity with him and Darcy, is that with Elizabeth and Pemberley, he’d protect that at any cost. That’s what this play is about – seeing these characters everyone knows make decisions under enormous pressure to the point where if they cannot solve how to navigate around it, they’ll lose everything. It’s about survival.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-audiences-expect">What can audiences expect?</h3>



<p>If you’re a Jane Austen fan, obviously, it’s a no brainer – you’ve got to come and see it because the show literally picks up six years after&nbsp;<em>Pride and Prejudice</em>&nbsp;with Elizabeth, Darcy, and all the other characters that surround them. Obviously the costumes are there, we’ve got live music on stage from the incredible Celia and David playing the piano live. It blows me away every time I hear it. They’re incredibly talented. Then, of course, if you’re a fan of murder mystery, come along. The Mill is just a gorgeous theatre and you’d be mad not to come in, especially in the summertime. I mean, I’m looking out now and there’s a lovely little terrace on the river. And obviously, if you love soaps with posh voices, we’re not a million miles away from it.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-really-is-such-a-lovely-little-theatre-isn-t-it">It really is such a lovely little theatre isn’t it?</h3>



<p>Oh yeah, stunning! It’s not too far away from where my parents live, but I’ve never been here. I know so many of my other actor friends that have worked here and love it. It’s got such a fantastic reputation and I’ve had a blast so far.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/04/james-bye-mill-sonning-035_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley-Rehearsals_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="james bye death comes to pemberley mill at sonning theatre" class="wp-image-78326" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-the-switch-from-the-grittiness-of-nbsp-eastenders-nbsp-to-a-period-drama-a-welcome-change">Is the switch from the grittiness of&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>&nbsp;to a period drama a welcome change?</h3>



<p>Yeah, it’s funny, isn’t it because things happen so quickly, not just in&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>, but in soap and anything on telly. In a play like this, which is just over two hours, there isn’t like a murder here, murder there, death, someone having an affair. Everything’s all underplayed, it’s all nuanced and it’s definitely a welcome change. With something like this, it’s lovely to be able to play those moments and let them breathe.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-biggest-differences-you-ve-had-to-get-used-to-making-the-move-from-tv-to-stage">What’s the biggest differences you’ve had to get used to making the move from TV to stage?</h3>



<p>The luxury of TV is if, you know, you’re not ready and you do a take and it’s rubbish, you stop and you shoot it again. Whereas obviously with theatre, you’ve got, I think we’ve had three and a half weeks rehearsal, and then you go live. If you’re not ready, it’s almost tough shit. There’s zero safety net. That’s what sort of brought me back to do stage, because I love that feeling of a live audience. I’m excited.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-are-rehearsals-treating-you">How are rehearsals treating you?</h3>



<p>They’ve been going great. Like I say, we get a lot more time than you would doing a soap. To do the live episode I think we had two weeks, but ultimately, if you broke it down, Lacey and I had about a day, two days, if you put it all together. Obviously, we’ve had like three and a half weeks, so it’s a slightly more relaxed vibe. It’s nice because you’re very much like a company here and I really love that there’s a collaborative feel, like everyone’s pushing in the same direction. We’ve got a director that’s got near 40 years experience and knows what he’s doing, so we’re in safe hands. From the crew and cast to the people who work at The Mill you definitely get that family feel and it’s a lovely vibe to be part of.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-corr-even-three-and-half-weeks-doesn-t-sound-like-a-lot-of-time-to-rehearse">Corr! Even three and half weeks doesn’t sound like a lot of time to rehearse</h3>



<p>No, and if I’m honest the vision for this show is massive. It’s got this constant moving set which sounds like something that should be at The Globe or something. But that’s the genius of someone like Joe, who’s our director, who’s put together a show that will work and resonate for the intimacy of The Mill, but also bigger venues when we go on tour.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/04/james-bye-mill-sonning-James-Bye.jpeg" alt="death comes to pemberley mill at sonning theatre interview" class="wp-image-78334" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-been-a-few-months-since-leaving-nbsp-eastenders-do-you-miss-it-already-or-were-you-ready-to-go">It’s been a few months since leaving&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>. Do you miss it already or were you ready to go?</h3>



<p>You know, 11 years, I haven’t done, forget acting, I have never done any one job for that long, and I think every character’s got a lifespan in a soap. It doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be killed or whatever, but I think Martin had done his time. And for me as an actor, and I probably speak for most actors, part of the joy of being an actor is being able to do lots of different things and being able to jump and do soap and then do theatre and then do TV.</p>



<p>Don’t get me wrong, with&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>&nbsp;you get to play so many different things, which you don’t in other jobs, which I think is what kept me there for so long. Couple that with the fact it had an amazing cast and I had some of the best friends I’ll ever have in my life. Obviously some have left since I joined and there’s people like Lacey, Nat, and Louisa who are all leaving as well. So it just felt like the right time to go. There’s a gut feeling in there.</p>



<p>I’m super excited to see what happens next with zero expectations, doing this play and there’s other things bubbling away in the background. I’m not coming out expecting to do like a Ben Hardy and go into&nbsp;<em>X-Men</em>. I’ve done it for very different reasons. But regardless of how it works out, it’s all part of the journey and it’ll be fun.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-most-excited-for-with-this-upcoming-tour">What are you most excited for with this upcoming tour?</h3>



<p>I mean, I’ve never done a tour in my life. I’m very fortunate that a lot of it is commutable from where I live so I won’t be away from the family that much. There’s maybe one or two venues where I might have to stay, but it’s during the summer holidays so we can get a nice little pad and the kids can come and stay. I’m looking forward to getting around the UK a bit. I’ve never been to Bath and I don’t know Brighton that well. Heather who plays Eve in&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>&nbsp;lives down there, so we’ll go catch up with her. That I’m looking forward to.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-excited-for-people-to-see">What are you excited for people to see?</h3>



<p>From audience’s point of view, this is a new play. Sometimes I forget this is the world premiere and it’s never been done before. It’s crazy to think P.D James’s novel has never been done on stage, because it’s honestly perfect for stage, and I think it’s really brave of The Mill to take on a new play. It could have easily just rehashed something that’s been done before, but you tip the cap to them for pushing and taking a risk in me. Coming off&nbsp;<em>Eastenders</em>, you wouldn’t naturally think of the one who played Martin Fowler to then go and play Mr Darcy.  But you know, I think it works.</p>



<p>It’s a really lovely play with a brilliant cast, so talented, and we all want it to be the best it can be for audiences. Theatre tickets these days aren’t cheap, so we want people to come along and have the best experience they possibly can. It’s going to be a fun, fun summer.</p>



<p><strong><em><a href="https://millatsonning.com/shows/death-comes-to-pemberley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Death Comes to Pemberley</a>&nbsp;is on at the Mill at Sonning Theatre 1 May – 28 June. Get your tickets&nbsp;<a href="https://millatsonning.savoysystems.co.uk/MillAtSonning.dll/TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem_1196.TcsWebTab_1197.TcsProgramme_960029" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></strong></p>



<p>WORDS: ELLIE BALL</p>


Hello Mr Darcy! Muddy meets soap star James Bye

You may also like