James Bye is joining forces with Hollyoaks actor Gary Lucy in the West End show 2:22 A Ghost Story – and fans are excited to see the two soap stars on the stage together
Actor James Bye has landed his first major role since his EastEnders character, Martin Fowler, was killed off in the soap. The 41-year-old star is joining forces with Hollyoaks actor Gary Lucy, whose character Luke Morgan was also killed off, for a new theatre acting job in the West End. The two actors will play Sam and Ben in 2:22 A Ghost Story in next year’s shows.
The announcement was made by the official profile of the play on Instagram, with a poster showing the actors in their roles. It read: ” INTRODUCING OUR 2026 SAM AND BEN. @jimmybye and Gary Lucy will be taking #222AGhostStory across the UK through 2026!
“Joined by @shvornemarks returning as Jenny and @natalielauracasey as Lauren.” Fans were excited to see that James and Gary will be working together on the production – and many said they can’t wait to go to the theatre to watch the show.
READ MORE: James Bye refused ‘weird’ EastEnders request after Martin Fowler’s shocking exit
“Amazing such a brilliant cast,” a person said. “Can’t wait. See you in Cardiff,” a fan added. A third wrote: “This is a great duo! I’m gonna come watch!”
“Ooooooooo brilliant, great casting,” someone else said. The West End show, a thriller play by Danny Robins, premiered in 2021 and received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play the following year.
James played Martin in EastEnders from 2014 until he was killed off for the soap’s 40th anniversary episode this year. The character died after being trapped by a falling steel beam during an explosion at the Queen Vic pub. The episode aired on February 20 and saw Martin have a final moment with Stacey before he was crushed and died from his injuries.
After leaving the soap, James landed a job as Jane Austen hero Mr Darcy in the theatrical world premiere of Death Comes To Pemberley. Following his sudden departure from EastEnders, James said: “Saying goodbye is not easy, but after 10 years at EastEnders and on the night of the shows epic 40th anniversary – the time felt right. It’s an honour to leave on a story of this magnitude.
“A huge thank you to all the fans of the show – EastEnders wouldn’t be what it is without you – and to the BBC and EastEnders team for trusting me with this role for so many years. This fruit and veg man will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s time to look forward, and I’m incredibly excited for what the future holds. RIP Martin Fowler.”
Gary’s Hollyoaks character was killed off in July 2022 after suffering a fatal fall in Mallorca. Viewers were left heartbroken following Luke’s tragic death. “Wow I just finished Hollyoaks, I was not expecting Luke to go like that”, one fan wrote on X, then called Twitter.
“So sad watching Luke fall to his death on his stag. What a way to kill him off,” another echoed. “Can’t believe that’s the last of Luke Morgan,” someone else complained.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: “Hollyoaks playing that montage of Luke after he fell to his death has ruined my day. I loved him.”
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