I wasn’t sure what to expect from Death Comes to Pemberley – but it turned out to be a really lovely surprise this week at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. Based on the final 2011 novel by crime writer P.D. James, this play (skilfully adapted by writers Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff) imagines life for Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr Darcy following the ending of Jane Austen’s timeless 19th century classic Pride and Prejudice.
The show, directed by Jonathan Boyle, started this week and is running until Saturday 6 September 2025. It is the world premiere stage adaptation of P.D. James’s bestselling novel, which imagines life for Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy six years after their marriage in Jane Austen’s second novel.
Pivoting on an adverse nocturnal event in the woods at Pemberley – Mr Darcy’s large estate, which leads to both adversity, comedy and pathos, the production is witty, sharply written and unexpectedly funny. But this is no genteel Regency romance. As Elizabeth’s sister Lydia bursts in with shocking news – a man has been found murdered in the woods – suspicion falls on her husband, George Wickham. The Darcys’ happy life at Pemberley is soon rocked by scandal, secrets and betrayal.
James Bye (formerly Martin Fowler in EastEnders) brings a light, understated touch to Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy – a very different role to the gritty storylines he left behind on TV. Jamie-Rose Duke makes an impressive stage debut as his wife Elizabeth, holding her own in her first professional theatre role with confidence and gusto. Sean Rigby as Colonel Fitzwilliam is a capable if ill-tempered sidekick to Mr Darcy and a potential suitor for Georgiana Darcy.
Darcy’s sister is played by the multitalented Celia Cruwys-Finnigan, an actor, musician and composer, and lends an authentic Georgian air to the proceedings with her live piano recitals which accompany the play perfectly. David Osmond, the actor playing a rival suitor in Henry Alveston also joins her as an accomplished pianist, which really helps this production to stand out.
The staging is deceptively simple: Designer Sean Cavanagh’s mock-Georgian set cleverly doubled as a courtroom, woodland, cottage and drawing room. My only quibble was some of the costumes – they could have done with a sharper eye on detail and perhaps an iron with the character of Henry Alveston looking like he was wearing his father’s clothes.
Whilst a hugely enjoyable ensemble piece, the stand-out was Todd Boyce as Sir Selwyn Hardcastle. His dour, credulous magistrate could easily have been dry, but he made it skilful, funny and very entertaining. Sarah Berger gave a commanding turn as Lady Catherine de Bourgh – her clear voice and strong presence marking her out as a character actor of real class with witty asides and booming ripostes breaking up some of the more melodramatic aspects of the play, and with perhaps a nod to Lady Bracknell from Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest. Paul Jerricho deserves mention for juggling four different roles with distinct accents, while Mogali Masuku impressed as Lydia Wickham, Louisa Bidwell and Betsy. The whole ensemble pulled their weight and delivered with confidence.
One caveat for new audiences: I felt I benefited from having read a number of Jane Austen’s novels as well as having studied Pride and Prejudice at A-level. My companion sitting alongside me, unfamiliar with the novel, enjoyed it less due to the lack of clarity about the behaviour of the main characters, Mr Wickham in particular, as the play leans on Austen’s character backstories and their temperaments. If you’ve never read Austen, a quick refresher might help before going. This is not to detract but to add enjoyment for audience members.
The cast were clearly comfortable in their craft, with stand-out comic moments from the neighbouring magistrate played just the right side of farce. At nearly two hours it’s a long show, but it never drags – the mix of intrigue, humour and courtroom drama keeps it engaging throughout.
Alongside Bye as Darcy, the cast includes Jamie-Rose Duke (Casualty) as Elizabeth Darcy, Sean Rigby (Endeavour) as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan (RSC’s Mrs Littlewood) as Georgina Darcy, Sam Woodhams (Mickey 17) as George Wickham, Mogali Masuku (As You Like It, RSC) as Lydia Wickham, Paul Jerricho (Casualty) as Mr Bidwell, and David Osmond (The Tempest, RSC) as Henry Alveston.
Overall, though, Death Comes to Pemberley is a skilful, entertaining production – witty, atmospheric and surprisingly funny. It should be noted that at points, it differs in detail from the ‘whodunnit’ from PD James, but I left wanting to read the novel itself, which is surely a sign of success. Highly recommended.
Set against the splendour of Theatre Royal Brighton’s Regency auditorium – one of the country’s oldest working theatres – Death Comes to Pemberley promises a gripping mix of romance and intrigue in a very fitting setting.
Venue: Theatre Royal Brighton
Dates: Tue 2 – Sat 6 Sep 2025
Evenings 7.30pm | Matinees Wed, Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Tickets: ATGTickets.com/Brighton
