EastEnders' James Bye to play iconic Mr Darcy in first role since Martin Fowler's death
Bye will star in a new stage adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley.
It hasn't taken long for James Bye to land his first acting gig after departing EastEnders – with the Martin Fowler star having been cast in the lead role of Mr Darcy in a new stage production of Death Comes to Pemberley.
The play is adapted from PD James’s best-selling 2011 novel, which was written as a sequel to Jane Austen's iconic Pride and Prejudice and was previously the basis for a three-part BBC One series starring Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin.
It is set to open with a two-month run at The Mill at Sonning from Thursday 1st May before touring with dates at Windsor Theatre Royal, Cardiff New Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Bromley Churchill Theatre, Wycombe Swan, Brighton Theatre Royal and Richmond Theatre.
Speaking about the role, 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."
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Joining him in the cast will be Jamie-Rose Duke as Elizabeth Darcy, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan as Georgiana Darcy and Endeavour's Sean Rigby as Colonel Fitzwilliam, while there are also roles for Paul Jerricho, Sam Woodhams, David Osmond and Mogali Masuku, with more cast to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the show has been adapted by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff – who previously wrote stage versions of best-selling novels The Girl on the Train and The Da Vinci Code – and will be directed by Joe Harmston.
Read more:
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- EastEnders confirms Bex Fowler to return for short stint in wake of dad Martin's death
An official synopsis describes the play as "a suspenseful whodunnit", and reads: "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."
Bye began playing the role of Martin on EastEnders back in 2014 and appeared in over 1,000 episodes of the soap until the iconic character's shock death in last week's 40th anniversary special – when he was left trapped under a metal structure following an explosion at the Queen Vic.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
