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

Soho Theatre Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, and Soho Theatre Walthamstow in north-east London. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three pe ...

, Clwyd Theatr Cymru,

Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool The Royal Court Theatre is a theatre located at 1 Roe Street in Liverpool, England. The current Royal Court Theatre was opened on 17 October 1938, after fire destroyed its predecessor. It was rebuilt in Art Deco style and soon became Liverpool' ...

and the National Theatre.

Early life and education

James Graham grew up in

Kirkby-in-Ashfield Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in the Ashfield District of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of 25,265 (according to the 2001 National Census), it is a part of the wider Mansfield Urban Area. Kirkby-in-Ashfield lies on the ea ...

, Nottinghamshire, and was educated at

Ashfield School, Kirkby-in-Ashfield Ashfield School or Ashfield Comprehensive School is a large secondary school with Academy (English school), academy status located in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England, which educates pupils with ages 11–19. The school has approxim ...

and the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...

, where he studied drama.

Career

Graham's 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 p ...

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

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

, 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 recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

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. He wrote the book for the

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

'' 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 a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination), transferred to Broadway. Graham's debut feature film ''

X+Y XY, or xy, or any of its variants may refer to: Entertainment * ''Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon X'' and ''Y'', a pair of 2013 role-playing video games in the Pokémon video game series, ''Pokémon'' series * XY (magazine), ''XY'' (magazine), a gay ...

'' premiered in 2015. He has written numerous TV dramas, including the TV films ''

Coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

'' (which won the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

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 has been awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special. In 1991, Outstanding Drama or Comedy ...

). In 2019, Graham wrote and executive produced a three-part TV adaptation of his stage play ''Quiz'', which aired in 2020. 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. She co-founded the televangelist program ''The PTL Club'' with her husband Jim Bakker in 1974. They had hosted their own puppet- ...

, with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Jake Shears Jason Sellards (born October 3, 1978), known professionally by the stage name Jake Shears, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist of New York City pop-rock band Scissor Sisters, who achi ...

writing the music. '' Tammy Faye'' opened at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...

in October 2022, and was nominated for four

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

, winning two. ''Tammy Faye'' transferred to Broadway in October 2024 and closed two months later. In 2023, he wrote '' Dear England'' for the National Theatre, starring

Joseph Fiennes Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 27 May 1970), known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor of film, stage, and television. Fiennes is particularly known for his versatility and period pieces. Journalist Zoe Williams observed t ...

, a portrait of England footballer and team manager

Gareth Southgate Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder. A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...

. ''Dear England'' transferred to the West End, and in 2024, the BBC announced they had commissioned Graham to adapt the play into a TV drama series. His plays are published by Methuen.

Personal life

In March 2024, he was the guest on the long running

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

series ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

'', hosted by

Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and guitarist in the alternative rock band Kenicki ...

. During his appearance, Graham said he has had relationships with women and men, describing his relationship history as "varied and flexible", but refusing to define or place a label on his sexuality. He also explained his struggle ("until recently") with relationships and "the level of commitment, vulnerability and intimacy that a healthy one requires".

Work

Plays

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

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

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 Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is an Olivier-winning British playwright and screenwriter. Early life and education Morgan Lloyd Malcolm was born in Westminster, London, and grew up in London. She is the daughter of actor and West End producer Christoph ...

and Michelle Terry (premiered at the Bush Theatre) *''A History of Falling Things'' (2009) (premiered at the Clwyd Theatr Cymru) *''The Whisky Taster'' (2010) (premiered at the Bush Theatre) *''The Man'' (2010) (premiered at the

) *''Relish'' (2010) (premiered at the Tramshed in Shoreditch) *''Basset'' (2010) (National Theatre Connections play) *'' Sixty Six Books'' (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. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...

) *'' This House'' (2012) (premiered at the National Theatre before a national tour) *''

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 Off-Broadway) *''

The Angry Brigade The Angry Brigade was a British group responsible for a series of armed actions against the establishment in England between 1970 and 1972. Using small bombs, they targeted banks, embassies, a BBC Outside Broadcast vehicle, and the homes of Co ...

'' (2014) (premiered at Theatre Royal, Plymouth) *'' Finding Neverland'' (2014) (premiered at the A.R.T.) *''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 West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

) *''

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 Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...

) *'' 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. ...

) *''

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. ...

'' (2017) (premiered at the

before transferring to the West End and then Broadway) *''

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

Noël Coward Theatre The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's ...

) *''

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

'' (2017) (premiered at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester before transferring to the West End) *''The Culture'' (2017) (premiered at the Hull Truck Theatre) *''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 ...

) *''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 F ...

and was live-streamed online) *'' 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. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

before transferring to the West End) *''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, films, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...

"Play in a Day', performed live at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...

and later broadcast on Sky Arts) *'' Tammy Faye'' (2022) (musical about the life of

, co-written with

, premiered at the

) *''Town Planning in the Apocalypse'' (2023) (short play written for the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and charity in London, created with the aim of developing young people's artistic skills via theatrical productions and other creative endeavours. Founded in 1956 as the world ...

, performed in February 2023 as part of an all-night showcase of NYT students at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

) *'' Dear England'' (2023) (premiered at the National Theatre) *''

Boys from the Blackstuff ''Boys from the Blackstuff'' is a five episode British drama television series, originally transmitted from 10 October to 7 November 1982 on BBC2. The serial was written by Liverpudlian playwright Alan Bleasdale, as a sequel to a television pl ...

'' (2023) (adapted from the Alan Bleasdale TV Series, premiered at the

) *''Punch'' (2024) (adapted from the book ''Right from Wrong'' by Jacob Dunne, premiered at

and the

)

Screenwriting

*''

'' (2015) (theatrical film) *''

'' (2015) (Television film for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

) *'' Brexit: The Uncivil War'' (2019) (Television film for

) *''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'' (2019) episode 3.6, " Tywysog Cymru" *''

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

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) *'' The Way'' (2024) (dystopian drama series for BBC1) *'' Brian and Maggie'' (2025)

Recognition and honours

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, Graham won his first

, for ''

'' as Best New Comedy (his other play ''

'' was nominated for an Olivier in the same year). He won his second Olivier Award for Best New Play in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, for '' Dear England''. 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 800 Fellows, elect ...

in its "40 Under 40" initiative. In January 2019, Graham's life and work was the subject of an in-depth

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

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. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

'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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two 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 celebratio ...

for services to drama and young people in British theatre. In June 2024, the ''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'' included Graham in ''The Left Power List 2024'', the magazine's "guide to the 50 most influential people in progressive politics".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, James Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of Hull British dramatists and playwrights British male dramatists and playwrights British male television writers English screenwriters English television writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Mansfield 21st-century English dramatists and playwrights British_LGBTQ_dramatists_and_playwrights