Berkshire

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1093" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="death comes to pemberley review" class="wp-image-78743" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-800x583.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1000x729.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-400x291.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/039_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x560.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Mr Darcy and his blushing bride are back and there&#8217;s been an attack! The Mill at Sonning theatre&#8217;s latest sensational production sees the world premiere of P. D. James&#8217; last ever novel on stage, perfectly timed in celebration of Jane Austen&#8217;s 250th birthday bash. <a href="https://millatsonning.com/shows/death-comes-to-pemberley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Death Comes to Pemberley</a> (1 May &#8211; 28 Jun) welcomes a glittering cast for its debut, including the likes of Eastenders&#8217; James Bye as Mr Darcy (read our interview with him <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/interview-james-bye-eastenders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>), and Coronation Street regular Todd Boyce as Sir Selwyn Hardcastle. 



Following Martin Fowler&#8217;s explosive ending on the soap in March, it seems James has once again found himself embroiled in, yep, you guessed it, even more drama. The show has all the ingredients for one riveting production: gripping murder mystery, sizzling romance, and betrayal for days. Well, P. D. James is the Queen of Crime for a reason. Let the twists and turns commence.



The story is set in regency England and follows newly weds Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Darcy at home at Pemberley, six years after Pride and Prejudice. But things don&#8217;t stay rosey for long. When a brutal murder takes place on the estate, chaos unfolds as the characters desperately try to identify the perpetrator. George Wickham is suspect numero uno, and as the trial nears, relationships are tested and shocking truths are revealed. No spoilers, but not everything is quite as it seems. Dun, dun, DUN!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1061" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="death comes to pemberley tour" class="wp-image-78737" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-800x566.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1000x707.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-400x283.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/010_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x543.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



If you&#8217;re a diehard of Pride and Prejudice, buckle in and get ready to greet old friends such as Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Lydia, and George Wickham. In the name of journalism, I rewatched the 2005 movie (filmed at nearby Basildon Park FYI) to familiarise myself with the story and characters. Very glad I did. Picking up from where the film left off, you jump right back in, and having everything so fresh in my mind amped enjoyment levels to max. 



First and foremost, the talent of the entire Death Comes to Pemberley cast was super impressive.&nbsp;You would never have known it was Jamie Rose-Duke&#8217;s theatrical debut (trained at The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain which alumni include Daniel Craig, Helen Mirren, and Daisy Edgar-Jones). She had a really magnetic presence and channelled the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet perfectly. Leading man James Bye nailed the complexities of the romantic hero, allowing us to see a more emotional side to the otherwise taciturn character. A total accent 360 from the happy chappy of Albert Square too. Nailed it.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1897" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="death comes to pemberley james bye mill at sonning" class="wp-image-78736" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-633x800.jpg 633w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-791x1000.jpg 791w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-316x400.jpg 316w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x971.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/004_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1215x1536.jpg 1215w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Shoutouts to the whole cast in all honesty. A number of them morphed into various characters with such ease and flair. I particularly loved Sarah Berger as the haughty Lady Catherine De Bourgh who provided the comedic relief from an otherwise heavy storyline. The audience really responded to her hilariously witty one liners and quips which were just brilliant. Speaking into existence an entire show just about her to be honest. Sam Woodhams, Robert Pattinson&#8217;s body double in the recent Hollywood hit Mickey 17 no less, made for a brilliant George Wickham and the character of a dying man called Will Bidwell. Emotional, heartfelt, and at the right time, he had the audience holding their breath.



For a theatre so small and intimate, the beautiful set design was a total triumph. The moving panels and backdrop were gorgeous and executed so cleverly. You felt transported to the Pemberley estate itself. Music comes courtesy of Celia Cruwys-Finnigan (Georgiana Darcy) and David Osmond (Henry Alveston) who played the piano live on stage &#8211; the sounds simultaneously ominous and romantic. It was a fabulous way to weave live music into the production and really helped set the tone. Just brace yourself for the booming gun shots that made me jump out of my skin more than once.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1059" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="death comes to pemberley mill at sonning" class="wp-image-78739" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-800x565.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1000x706.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-400x282.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/014_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x542.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



If I had to nitpick, my one comment would be it went on perhaps a tad too long and started a bit later than ideal. Curtains closed just shy of 11pm. But considering every ticket includes a two course meal, it&#8217;s understandable with staff having to usher 200 people into the auditorium by 8.15pm. It&#8217;s just the old lady in me talking.



Overall though, take your seat for a show that oozes suspense. Seriously, there&#8217;s more drama than an episode of The Kardashians. Across the length of the performance, you can&#8217;t help feel yourself getting sucked into the action. It&#8217;s engrossing, and in true whodunit fashion, your mind is restlessly whirring and trying to weigh up who committed the crime. I can confirm, no, I didn&#8217;t get it right. And if anything can convince you to nab a seat, that ending will. Mr and Mrs Darcy super stans, deep breath. It&#8217;s a good one.



You can catch the show at boutique beauty of a theatre The Mill at Sonning until 28 June before it hits the road on a UK tour later this summer. Be quick though, tickets are selling like hot cakes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wine-amp-dine">WINE &amp; DINE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO.jpg" alt="mill at sonning restaurant" class="wp-image-78599" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5543_VSCO-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



A night of food and entertainment all in one? Let&#8217;s go. As mentioned, all tickets to shows at The Mill at Sonning include a delish two course meal beforehand in their cosy restaurant. And with each production comes a new menu. For Death Comes to Pemberley, it was an aptly traditional fare including the likes of steak pie, duck leg, and veggie lasagna, with bread and butter pudding, rhubarb bakewell tart, white chocolate pot, and a cheese plate for afters.



Arriving at the table we were greeted with some bread and olives to get the party started. For mains, I opted for the scrummy pie which came accompanied with mash and some seasonal veggies. All very tasty, although I am the kind of person who needs to bathe in gravy, so a bit of the stuff would have taken it to the next level.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO.jpg" alt="mill at sonning restaurant" class="wp-image-78600" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/mill-sonning-IMG_5546_VSCO-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Meanwhile, my fellow foodie went for the confit duck leg, tomato and bean cassoulet, apple sauce, and purple sprouting broccoli. Fancy. No complaints &#8211; the plate was left sparkling clean. A short break later, puds arrived. I continued the carb fest with the bread and butter pudding served with warm custard, and across the table came a lovely rhubarb bakewell tart and crème fraîche. The latter stole the show. Yum.



The setting for the meal itself is a very calming space in the two-storey restaurant with sweeping views over the nearby Thames. Eyes peeled for the otters! It&#8217;s a super grown up hangout and the inclusion of the meal with each ticket just makes for such a special night out. Underpinned by the young team of servers, service was super friendly, warm, and attentive. You couldn&#8217;t fault them. Just make sure to preorder your interval drinks before the show and you&#8217;ll find them waiting on your table when you return. Now how&#8217;s that for five star service?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1129" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="death comes to pemberley mill at sonning" class="wp-image-78740" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-800x602.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1000x753.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-400x301.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/05/017_Death-Comes-to-Pemberley_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x578.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Good for: Janeites! Austen fans, whodunit devotees, and those that can&#8217;t get enough of the drama will lap up Death Comes to Pemberley. It&#8217;s a wild ride that will keep you guessing until the very end.



Not for: Lovers of a modern day production. As expected, the show uses Austen-esque language, is set in the Regency era, and follows the trappings of a more traditional genre of theatre production.



Grab your tickets to see <a href="https://millatsonning.com/shows/death-comes-to-pemberley/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Death Comes to Pemberley</a>&nbsp;at The Mill at Sonning&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>. On now until 28 June. Use the code MAY25&nbsp;to get 25% Off tickets (the offer is valid for new bookings only and expires Mon 19 May).



Words by Ellie Ball

Review: Death Comes to Pemberley, The Mill at Sonning

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