Training & Qualifications:
Royal Holloway, University of London; BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies. 
Extensive movement, puppet and object manipulation skills tuition from Chris Somerville (director of The Harlequin Puppet Theatre), Ian Allen of Playboard Puppers, Mary Turner (expert marionettist of Thunderbirds et al fame), Nori Sawa (internationally renowned puppeteer, The Academy of Performing Arts, Prague), Dr Dick McCaw, and Kate Brehm.
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Shakes vs Shav – RHUL. Puppeteer, Designer, Fabricator and Co-Director.
March 2006
James, along with students at the University of London, created what is believed to be the only British revival of George Bernard-Shaw's puppet play, using table top, rod, and glove puppets, designed by James. He was invited to speak about this workshop production by PALATINE and Dr Matthew Isaac Cohen at their first Puppetry in Higher Education day. As and when time permits he hopes to develop this piece further.
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Hospitals and other buildings that catch fire – InForm Theatre, Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh, and the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. Puppet Designer and Fabricator.
August 2005 and April 2006
James's second collaboration with InForm Theatre Company was performed as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2005 and was revived for a brief fun as part of NSDF at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. He designed and made rod and Bunraku puppets for this production, directed by Simon Pittman.
InForm Theatre push the boundaries of text and performance – The Scotsman
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The Big Half; the small half – InForm Theatre, The Pleasance Theatre, Islington. Puppet Designer, Fabricator and Director
November 2004 to February 2005
James designed, made and directed rod and glove puppet sequences for this experimental play by InForm Theatre Company, which after workshop performances at RHUL ran at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington.
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The Punch and Judy
Show – Performer
2000 to Present
To this day this simple form of puppetry remains James' favourite to perform. He is passionate about Punch and maintains a large archive of material relating to the show as well as collecting the puppets themselves. Deceptively simple, when performed well it can entertain even the most cynical 21st Century audience. The show has taken him across England, Wales and Scotland, performing at Stately Homes, Shopping Centres, Theatres, Puppet Festivals, advertisements for Harrods, countless Schools and many, many Birthday Parties. The level of interaction between the puppets and the audience is one of the key elements that keeps Punch and Judy alive, giving it a special place in the audiences' hearts, it's Coronation Street with the television screen removed!
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