Currently, Dear England is on a break from their National Tour until January, and Ashley Byam plays Raheem Sterling in the James Graham production, which runs until Saturday 14th March 2026. Ashley works with a cast including David Sturzaker as Gareth Southgate (with the play based on Southgate’s time as men’s England football team manager), Samantha Womack as Pippa Grange, Jass Beki as Bukayo Saka, Jayden Hanley as Marcus Rashford and Liam Prince-Donnelly as Dele Alli, and Dear England will continue their National Tour until Saturday 14th March 2026. Prior to Dear England, Ashley played Monday in Emmanuel Akwafo’s play Limp Wrist & The Iron Fist, and at Shakespeare’s Globe, he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. With the COVID pandemic closing theatres around the world in March 2020, Ashley had recently finished his run in Four Play as Rafe, with the Jake Brunger show playing at Above the Stag, and in 2018, he played PC Molson in the National Theatre’s production of Absolute Hell. On screen, Ashley is well-known for playing regular character Finlay Baker in EastEnders, having joined the soap in 2022, with his further screen work including an episode of Death in Paradise, The Legend of Tarzan and Legend (both films marking his first professional acting jobs), and he has filmed for an unannounced Disney project, which is due for release in 2026. Answering our questions, we found out from Ashley about touring as Raheem Sterling in Dear England, performing in Romeo and Juliet and Four Play and playing Finlay Baker in EastEnders.
You are currently touring as Raheem Sterling in the 2025/26 UK Tour of Dear England, which is written by James Graham; how is the run going so far and what are you looking forward to for continuing with the production?
The run is going very well! I’m genuinely having the most amazing time. The cast and the entire company get along so well, which on tour is something I’m/we are not taking for granted!
We’ve been to some fantastic cities so far and have been received so warmly. I think I’m just looking forward to getting to visit and spend time in more cities I’ve not been to. Liverpool is high on my list, so I can’t wait to go there!
Can you tell us about Dear England and what is it like telling the story?
It’s easy to think that Dear England is just a play about football, but it is so much more. It delves into a myriad of subjects without lecturing or patronising the audience, and it does it all wonderfully through the device of football and Gareth (Southgate) and his England football team over the six to seven years he was England manager!
Some of the things we talk about and explore are so incredibly relevant today! If not more so now.
What is it like getting into character as Raheem Sterling and was there anything that drew you to the role?
Raheem is a joy to play – it’s such a clichĂ© thing for an actor to say, but he really is. He is so layered, and it’s been fun exploring his way of thinking and his nuances. The journey he goes on in the play with himself and with the other players, as well as Gareth and Pippa. Getting to pretend I’m an internationally recognised professional footballer for six months definitely helped draw me to the role, ha!
How was it meeting your fellow cast members for the first time, and have you worked with any of them previously?
I was very nervous meeting my cast for the first time, one because I’m pretty introverted, but also there are A LOT of us! But Connie (Treves, director) and the rest of the creative team created such a warm and welcoming room that you wanted to be there and get to know everyone, and that made it easier.
I, funnily enough, have worked with two of the cast before, but not as an actor. I also write and direct, and for my debut play, I cast and directed Sam Craig, who plays Jude Bellingham and Ensemble, and I also auditioned Liam Prince-Donnelly, who plays Dele Alli, for the same play two years later. So it’s quite fun to work with them as an actor – we’re pretty close too.
What are you enjoying most about touring and how is it seeing the audience response to the production around the country?
I mentioned this earlier, but I’m enjoying visiting all the cities I’ve never been to and ticking them off my bucket list. We got to spend two weeks in Newcastle, which I’ve wanted to visit for so long, so I was glad to do it finally.
I’m enjoying the different reactions from the audience and how it changes in each city, but it is still somewhat similar in parts.
Who do you think Dear England will appeal to, and why would you recommend booking tickets to the show, which is currently booking until March 2026?
Easy answer! Everyone – the play appeals to everyone; it’s not just a football play or just for football fans or theatregoers. It’s for everyone, and each person, whether you’re a seasoned theatregoer or a football season ticket holder, will enjoy the play and leave with a new perspective on both sides.
It’s also just really fun and a great night or afternoon out!
In October last year, you played Monday in Emmanuel Akwafo’s play Limp Wrist & The Iron Fist, can you tell us about this?
This play is up there with one of my favourite productions I’ve ever been in. Emmanuel is a phenomenal actor and equally talented writer.
Monday is such an enigma of a character. He comes across like a really sassy and mean-spirited person, and it’s easy to lean into that, but it was so fun to explore why he is that way and why he says the things he does to his close friends. What makes him tick, who he is, and what does the pain he carries do to him as a person, and how does it reinforce the guard he has up? Also, the love these friends have for each other and the way they are so relatable.
I truly loved playing him, and it was a workout. On stage for the entire duration, it was so physically demanding – so not too different from Dear England in that respect. I hope the play has a further life, and I would jump at the chance to play Monday again.
Limp Wrist… is such a powerful and important play that it needs to be seen over and over.
Finally, Dane Williams, Dwayne Black and Jamal Franklin taught me so much, and we went on the most amazing journey together and truly bonded. Everything about the experience was a core memory!
How was it performing at Shakespeare’s Globe and taking on the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet?
I’ve always been obsessed with Shakespeare and the Globe, but even more so with Romeo and Juliet. It is one of my favourite classical plays. I used Romeo’s “Tis torture…” speech to audition for and get into drama schools. I also played Romeo in a summer outdoor touring production in 2010, directed by Rae McKen, whom I met just before I started drama school. So to visit the play 15 years later with a fresh and new perspective on myself as an actor, but also on the play, was a full-circle moment.
Mercutio is a dream role for most actors, so it was an honour to play him on the Globe stage in front of thousands of people, especially secondary school students who might think Shakespeare isn’t for them. The version was made for them, and I think it really made Shakespeare relatable and accessible. As it was a cut-down 90-minute version, I feel like I have unfinished business with the role, so I can’t wait to play Mercutio again in another iteration. Haha!
When theatres closed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, you had recently finished your run in Four Play (written by Jake Brunger) at Above the Stag as Rafe, what was the play like to be part of?
I think I have been really lucky in the jobs I’ve been part of. Four Play is no exception; I really had a great time on that production.
The three other guys in the cast – Keeran (Blessie), Declan (Spaine), and Marc (MacKinnon) – were such a joy to be around; we got on really well, and I’m still friends with them now. The play really challenged me to explore being a comedic actor, as Rafe is so unintentionally funny and dry, so it was fun to explore being that person and find his little idiosyncrasies.
What was it like playing PC Molson in National Theatre’s production of Absolute Hell in 2018?
It was my first time at the National and working with Joe Hill-Gibbins, whose production of The Glass Menagerie – one of my favourite plays (I love Tennessee Williams) – at the Young Vic in 2010 made me want to truly pursue acting as a career. So I’m very grateful to have been part of that production.
As a screen actor, you are well-known for your time as regular character Finlay Baker in EastEnders, how did you find the experience joining the series in 2022 and how was it being in the cast of a hugely-popular soap opera?
EastEnders was a very surreal thing to be a part of. I used to watch it when I was younger with my mum, so to then be walking around Albert Square years later took some getting used to. I also now get to say to people when I tell them I’m an actor and they say “Ohh you should go on EastEnders… Do you want to be on EastEnders?” I can say I already have, haha.
It was the hardest and fastest I’ve ever had to work. I genuinely believe I’m a better actor because of my time on the show. You don’t have the time to second-guess every decision or acting choice you make, as the show moves so fast. You’re filming episodes every week, so you become good at making bold choices and forming your character and their journey very quickly!
I made some lifelong friends on the show too, who I’m still in touch with now, and we meet up and hang out, which is really nice.
The thing I’m still not used to is being recognised outside of the show. Even though I haven’t been on it for a year now, people still approach me for pictures etc., and I am grateful for the love.
What were your storylines like to film and do you have any favourite memories from being involved with EastEnders that you can share?
I really enjoyed bringing some Guyanese culture and authenticity to the show. I’m half Guyanese, so it was an honour to play someone who I really resonate with in that respect. I also got to drive some really cool cars. I arrived in a Bentley and exited in a vintage MG. I love cars, so that was a highlight for me.
Finlay also had some amusing tongue-in-cheek moments, and he was really likeable. Also, my exit storyline was a wild ride, getting to film with the amazing Bal Sopal (Suki) and Aaron Thiara (Ravi), who I think are both amazing actors, so I had to make sure I was matching their level and commitment in our scenes!
One of my favourite memories was celebrating Tameka’s (Empson) birthday on set. I won’t go into too much detail, but there was a lot of laughter and dancing in the green room. Also cake!!
How was it filming your episode of Death in Paradise in Series 9, and how would you describe your character Xavier Prince?
I had the best time on Death in Paradise. It was easy for me as my character dies, so once I had filmed all my scenes, I essentially had a two-week holiday in what is literally paradise. It was beautiful. The team/cast were amazing too, and we got on so well, going on day trips and excursions, etc.
I would describe Xavier as a lovable, caring, and stubborn hothead. He means well but doesn’t always go about it the right way. He leads with his heart, which can sometimes override rational thinking and other people’s perspectives/emotions, but it comes from a place of love and purpose, doing the right thing.
Having also worked on films including The Legend of Tarzan as Kasai and Legend as John, what is it like on set of projects like these?
Those were my first two professional acting jobs after drama school. I got cast in them both within weeks of each other.
My first day on set for both of them was very nerve-racking, as I had never done film before, and also I was new to acting outside of drama school, but I learnt a lot and just had to get out of my head and enjoy it.
They were both pinch-me moments, as I was working with actors I respect and hold in high esteem, so to work alongside them – and on my first jobs – was a dream. I was given some amazing advice that I still apply to my career today, and keeps me grounded.
How did you get into acting and what are some of your further stand-out career highlights?
I came to acting very late. I was painfully shy as a kid, so acting wasn’t on the cards for me, and the only reason I had any interest in it was because my mum enrolled me onto after-school activities where I had to socialise with other kids and be active and engaged without her. My first acting thing was playing Jacob Marley in my primary school production of A Christmas Carol, which I loved, but it never went any further after that. That was it.
And even though I did Drama for my GCSEs in secondary school, I didn’t actually want to be an actor. As much as I loved acting, I truly thought it wasn’t something I could do or was accessible to me. That led me to actually study dancing and join a dance company, ELYD, after I left school. But after a while, I realised I didn’t want to be a professional dancer – I just enjoyed dancing. So I left the company and stopped training.
For years, I just worked in retail. Then one day I was on a bus going past LAMDA – I didn’t know what it was, but it piqued my interest as I had always seen the building many times. So I googled it and found out it was a drama school, and after reading about it, I learnt that it was something that I could apply for, so I did. My first year, I was so late applying that only LAMDA and The Oxford School of Drama were still accepting submissions. I didn’t get in my first year of applying, but I got pretty far in the rounds.
When I didn’t get in, I had to think if I could really handle all the nos/rejection that comes with acting, and I asked myself if acting was something I really wanted to do, and it was. That love and excitement I had when I played Jacob Marley was still there, I just hadn’t realised it. So I enrolled at Richmond Drama School at Richmond Adult Community College on their Access to Drama Course to learn as much about theatre and acting as I could that year. It’s also how I met Rae McKen and Suba Das, who ran Custom/Practice, and where my love for all things Shakespeare was ingnited and my understanding of how to engage with and access the text/plays came from. I also went to see as much theatre as I possibly could.
When the time came again, I applied to drama school – but this time, as I was early, I was able to apply to far more schools. I was accepted to three schools and ultimately decided that The Oxford School of Drama was the right place for me, and it truly was. Since leaving, I’ve had a string of great jobs and met the most incredible people. But the main thing Oxford taught me was not to be complacent, not to chase fame, and to constantly hone my craft and always work on my skills as an actor so that I can have longevity in what is an incredibly hard industry to be in. So even now, years after graduating, I still do acting classes when I can and read acting books etc.
Some of my further career highlights would have to be the ones already mentioned, but also being part of a Disney show – I can’t say what it is yet, but it comes out next year – was definitely a highlight and another pinch-me moment. Also, working with the likes of Rami Malek on The Amateur, and without a shadow of a doubt, Dear England, are certainly career highlights that I will cherish forever and that fill me with eternal gratitude and praise! I’ve been very blessed so far.
Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?
Ohhh… That’s a hard question; it constantly changes. I try to see almost everything, so I’m always at the cinema or the theatre. If I started naming, then the list would be soo long, haha.
But… Drive My Car, Pan’s Labyrinth, In the Mood for Love, Belle (anime), and 10 Things I Hate About You are definitely some of the staples in my top ten!
How do you like to spend your free time?
I’m pretty active. I like to cycle, hike, go to the gym, or go climbing. But recently on tour I played tennis, and it is now my new thing – I want to keep doing it, so I’m in search of a tennis court/club in London that I can practice my skills at.
I also mentioned before that I love to write, play chess, and I’m learning two languages. I’m not very good at doing nothing and switching off for too long, so I will always be doing something – although it’s almost always on my own. I’m a big fan of solo time!
Dear England continues its national tour from January 2026 – https://dearenglandonstage.com
Follow Ashley on: