James is an independent commercial theatre producer and general manager. In those capacities he has worked on over sixty shows since establishing his business in 2001, including the premiere English language adaptation of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, which toured and played off-West End in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and a series of tours and West End appearances for the cult solo comedy show Bill Hicks: Slight Return.
As well as touring shows around the UK and producing in London, he takes a large number of productions to the Edinburgh festival each year under the Festival Highlights banner. These have won a wide range of awards, including Ed Hamell's Herald Angel award in 2007, and the Scotsman Fringe Firsts for What I Heard About Iraq in 2006 and Gone in 2004 (both directed by Hannah Eidinow).
In 2006 Pete and Dud: Come Again played a two-month West End season, and since then the show has toured to New Zealand and in the UK.
In 2007 he launched the UK tour of Potted Potter: The Unauthoried Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff, which continues to tour throughout 2008 following sell-out appearances at Edinburgh and Belfast festivals and in London at Trafalgar Studios. Other notable Edinburgh fringe shows in 2007 include co-producing the Stewart Lee devised Johnson and Boswell: Late But Live and heading up the marketing campaigns for the Glynn Nicholas Group productions Eurobeat and Certified Male.
In 2008, new tours included The Quiz by Richard Crane, performed by David Bradley (Whatsonstage.com Best Solo Performance nominated), The Last South by G.M. Calhoun, performed by David Burt and Christian Olliver, The Lady Of Burma by Richard Shannon performed by Liana Gould, My Grandfather's Great War adapted by David Benson and performed by Cameron Stewart (The Stage Best Solo Show nominated), Potted Pirates, Elizabeth & Raleigh: Late But Live, David Benson Sings Noël Coward, and X-Files Improv with Dean Haglund. Potted Potter toured again, and returned to Trafalgar Studios for another sell-out Christmas season. Bill Hicks: Slight Return was invited to festivals in Adelaide and Melbourne. Edinburgh fringe offerings totalled 23 productions including marketing for Steven Berkoff's On The Waterfront and promotions on Footsbarn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In 2005 James was profiled by both The Independent on Sunday and The Stage as a leading young theatre producer. James has twice been the recipient of the Stage One New Producer Bursary, in 2002 and 2004. He is under commission to Nick Hern Books to write the latest volume in their So You Want To Be series, about theatre producing.
