James Graham (born 8 July 1982) is a British playwright and screenwriter. His work has been staged throughout the UK and internationally, at theatres including the Bush,

Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The th ...

Clwyd Theatr Cymru Theatr Clwyd () is a regional arts centre and producing theatre from Mold, Flintshire, in North East Wales. It opened as Theatr Clwyd in 1976, but was known between 1998 and 2015 as Clwyd Theatr Cymru, before reverting to its original name. His ...

and the National Theatre.

Biography

Graham grew up in

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market town ...

, and was educated at Ashfield Comprehensive School and the

University of Hull , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

, where he studied drama. His first professional play ''Albert's Boy'' was produced by the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world pr ...

in west London, where Graham became playwright-in-residence. His first major play '' This House'' was commissioned by the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...

, where it was critically and commercially acclaimed, transferred to the larger Olivier Theatre, and was nominated for the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for Best New Play. ''This House'' was revived in 2016 and ran for two years, first in the West End and then on a national tour. In 2018 Graham won his first Olivier Award, for ''Labour of Love'' as best new comedy (his other play ''

Ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thi ...

'' was nominated for an Olivier in the same year). He wrote the book for the Broadway musical '' Finding Neverland'', and two of his own plays, ''Privacy'' and ''Ink'' (for which he received his first

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

nomination), transferred to Broadway. Graham's debut feature film '' X+Y'' premiered in 2015, and he has written numerous TV dramas, including the TV films '' Coalition'' (which won the Royal Television Society award for Best Single Film) and '' Brexit: The Uncivil War'' (nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which is awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special. In 1991, Outstanding Drama or Comedy Specia ...

). In 2019 Graham wrote and executive produced a three-part TV adaptation of his stage play ''Quiz'' which aired in 2020. In June 2018, Graham was elected Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elec ...

in its "40 Under 40" initiative. In January 2019, Graham's life and work was the subject of an in-depth BBC One documentary as part of the '' Imagine'' series. In May 2019, his play '' This House'' was voted Play of the Decade in

Bloomsbury Publishing Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Bloomsbury's head office is located in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a U ...

's '60 Years of Modern Plays' public vote. He was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

2020 New Year Honours The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to drama and young people in British theatre. In 2022, it was announced that Graham had written the book for a new musical about the life of televangelist

Tammy Faye Messner Tamara Faye Messner (née LaValley, formerly Bakker ; March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American evangelist, singer, author, talk show host, and television personality. She gained notice for her work with ''The PTL Club'', a televangelist ...

, with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and

Jake Shears Jake Shears (born October 3, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the male lead singer of pop-rock band Scissor Sisters. Early life Shears was born in Mesa, Arizona, the son of an entrepreneur father and a Baptist mot ...

writing the music. 'Tammy Faye' will open at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a dive ...

in October 2022. His plays are published by Methuen.

Work

Plays

*'' Tammy Faye'' (2022) (musical about the life of

, co-written with

, which will premiere at the

) *''Shoot'' (2021) (short play written for

Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...

"Play in a Day', performed live at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

and later broadcast on Sky Arts) *'' Best of Enemies'' (2021) (premiered at the

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 2018 ...

before transferring to the West End) *''Bubble'' (2020) (premiered at the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and ...

and was live-streamed online) *''Sketching'' (2018) (premiered at

Wilton's Music Hall Wilton's Music Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Shadwell, built as a music hall and now run as a multi-arts performance space in Graces Alley, off Cable Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is one of very few surviving music h ...

) *''The Culture'' (2017) (premiered at the

Hull Truck Theatre Hull Truck Theatre is a theatre in Kingston upon Hull, England, which presents drama productions, and also tours. In March 2022, the theatre's original premises on Coltman Street, Hull, was recognised by a blue plaque to coincide with the theatr ...

) *''

Quiz A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which players attempt to answer questions correctly on one or several specific topics. Quizzes can be used as a brief assessment in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities ...

'' (2017) (premiered at the

Minerva Theatre, Chichester The Minerva Theatre is a studio theatre seating, at full capacity, 310. It is run as part of the adjacent Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, and was opened in 1989.Labour of Love ''Labour of Love'' is the fourth studio album by British reggae band UB40, and their first album of cover versions. Released in the UK on 12 September 1983, the album is best known for containing the song "Red Red Wine", a worldwide number-one ...

'' (2017) (premiered at the

Noel Coward Theatre Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * 1563 Noël, an asteroid * Mount Noel, Brit ...

) *''

'' (2017) (premiered at the

before transferring to the West End and then Broadway) *'' Monster Raving Loony'' (2016) (premiered at the

Theatre Royal, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Plymouth, is a theatre venue in Plymouth, Devon. It consists of a 1,300-seat main auditorium, The Lyric, which regularly hosts large-scale musicals, opera and ballet; a 200-seat studio, The Drum; and a 50-seat studio, The Lab. O ...

) *''

The Vote ''The Vote'' is a 2015 play by British playwright James Graham. The play received its world premiere at the Donmar Warehouse as part of their spring 2015 season, where it ran from 24 April to 7 May 2015. Directed by Josie Rourke and set in a f ...

'' (2015) (premiered at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mic ...

) *''The Children's Monologues'' (2015) (wrote the monologue "Biyonace" for the one-off event at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

) *'' Finding Neverland'' (2014) (premiered at the A.R.T.) *''

The Angry Brigade The Angry Brigade was a far-left British terrorist group responsible for a series of bomb attacks in England between 1970 and 1972. Using small bombs, they targeted banks, embassies, a BBC Outside Broadcast vehicle, and the homes of Conservati ...

'' (2014) (premiered at Theatre Royal, Plymouth) *''

Privacy Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

'' (2014) (premiered at the Donmar Warehouse before transferring to Broadway) *'' This House'' (2012) (premiered at the National Theatre before a national tour) *''

Sixty Six Books ''Sixty-Six Books'' was a set of plays premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2011, to mark the theatre's reopening on a new site and the 400th anniversary of the King James Version. It drew its title from the 66 books of the Protestant Bible ...

'' (co-author) (2011) (premiered at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a spa ...

) *''Basset'' (2010) (National Theatre Connections play) *''Relish'' (2010) (premiered at the Tramshed in Shoreditch) *''The Man'' (2010) (premiered at the

) *''The Whisky Taster'' (2010) (premiered at the Bush Theatre) *''A History of Falling Things'' (2009) (premiered at the

) *''SuddenLossOfDignity.Com'' (2009) written in collaboration with

Zawe Ashton Zawedde Emma "Zawe" Ashton (; born 25 July 1984) is a British actress, playwright and narrator. She is best known for her roles in the comedy dramas '' Fresh Meat'' and ''Not Safe for Work'', the Netflix horror thriller film '' Velvet Buzzsaw' ...

Joel Horwood Joel Horwood is a British playwright. He has been a member of the Royal Court/ BBC 50 scheme and has also been on attachment at Hampstead Theatre. His plays include ''I Caught Crabs in Walberswick'', ''Mikey the Pikey'', ''Food'', and ''I Hea ...

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm The Apathists were a collective of British playwrights who staged plays and happenings in London between March 2006 and March 2007. The events generated a cult following on the London theatre scene. The collective had a festival of their work at t ...

and Michelle Terry (premiered at the Bush Theatre) *''Tory Boyz'' (2008) (premiered at the

) *''Sons of York'' (2008) (premiered at the Finborough Theatre) *''Little Madam'' (2007) (premiered at the Finborough Theatre) *''Eden's Empire'' (2006) (premiered at the Finborough Theatre) *''Albert's Boy'' (2005) (premiered at the Finborough Theatre)

Screenwriting

*''

Sherwood Sherwood may refer to: Places Australia *Sherwood, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane * Sherwood, South Australia, a locality *Shire of Sherwood, a former local government area of Queensland * Electoral district of Sherwood, an electoral district fr ...

'' (2022-) (crime drama series for BBC1) *''

'' (2020) (three-part TV drama series for ITV) *''

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

'' (2019) episode 3.6, "Tywysog Cymru" *'' Brexit: The Uncivil War'' (2019) (Television film for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...

) *'' Coalition'' (2015) (Television film for

) *'' X+Y'' (2015) (theatrical film)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, James 1982 births Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire British dramatists and playwrights British male dramatists and playwrights British television writers English television writers English screenwriters People from Mansfield Alumni of the University of Hull Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature