James Quaife is the Producer for English Touring Theatre as well as a Producer for his company, James Quaife Productions.
In 2012 James was awarded a Stage One Producer’s Bursary for his production of Step 9 (of 12) at Trafalgar Studios starring Blake Harrison. In 2013 James was awarded a Stage One Start Up Fund for the West End production Barking In Essex at the Wyndham’s Theatre starring Lee Evans and Sheila Hancock.
Since then he has gone on to producer the UK premiere of Next Fall starring Charlie Condou (Southwark Playhouse) and the West End transfer of Good People starring Imelda Staunton (Noël Coward Theatre).
In 2014 James joined English Touring Theatre as their new Producer and has produced the UK tours of Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, directed by Blanche McIntyre, The Odyssey: Missing Presumed Dead by Simon Armitage, directed by Nick Bagnall and The Herbal Bed by Peter Whelan, directed by James Dacre. He is currently working on the premiere of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh adapted by Bryony Lavery, directed by Damian Cruden and a UK tour of the Orange Tree Production, French Without Tears by Terence Rattigan, directed by Paul Miller.
James has previously worked for Disney, Opera Holland Park, The Old Vic Theatre / Old Vic New Voices and The National Student Drama Festival.

At the moment you are…
Producer at English Touring Theatre.

What does Stage One mean to you?
Stage One is about giving you the belief, confidence and push to take the leap as a commercial producer and produce a show. Stage One has played such a vital role in my development as a professional theatre producer. The support, encouragement and opportunities that Stage One are able to offer, both financial and in career development are invaluable to new and emerging theatre producers. They have been able to create an environment where the next generation of producers are able to benefit from a community of both their peers and industry professionals.

Last show you saw and loved?
Hamlet at the Barbican; aside from its immense production value and astonishing cast, it was wonderful to see the sheer amount of excitement and publicity for one of Shakespeare’s plays. I suspect it brought a number of people to the theatre who may have never stepped in one before!
More recently I went to see Hand of God at The Vaudeville; new writing is incredibly important for the theatre industry and this brave production masterfully trod the line between comedy and tragedy.

What do you think, is the best thing about the Theatre Industry?
It’s live – one of the best feelings you get when you are producing a show is that you get to stand at the back of an auditorium and hear the audience’s reaction – bouts of laughter, screams of terror or tears of sadness – there is nothing quite like hearing a room full of people all react to your production at the same time!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
On the first day of university my Dad said to me ‘Remember to be kind to those you see on the way up, as they will be the ones that will catch you on the way down!’

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