James is an associate professor of drama at the University of East Anglia. He been a professional director of theatre and opera for over 30 years and is artistic director of New Opera In Scotland Events (NOISE), for which he has commissioned and directed four new operas. James' other opera work has included productions in Holland and Greece. He splits his time between Norwich and Glasgow and has produced plays in theatres all over the UK. He is the director of the Love Triangles season featuring two plays by Caryl Churchill running at UEA Drama Studio December 7 to 12.

What’s the impact of Covid-19 been on you and how are you adapting?
Education was considered a special area and we could meet in socially distanced, masked groups. I spent much of lockdown rehearsing plays with our students. The whole period was incredibly stressful, working in a socially distanced manner or remotely for the whole of the last academic year. Things are much calmer now, but last year has made us all think about education and what we can offer our students. For all of us the year presented a whole series of new ideas that have altered the world in which we live. The young people I work with have responded very positively to the Black Lives Matter movement. They are deeply concerned about climate change. Their desire for change and their optimism about the future is a daily inspiration.

What is your connection to East Anglia?
I had a very dear friend who lived here and used to come and visit her and her family. I grew to like the area and spent many happy Christmases here. I always enjoyed my visits to Norfolk and even before I was offered a job at the University of East Anglia, I thought about moving to Norwich. It is a very beautiful city that offers a vibrant and fascinating cultural life.

What is your East Anglian Heaven?
I love the proximity to the sea, the big open skies, and the beautiful churches. Each beach has its own character and atmosphere. Every time you return to a part of the coast you have seen before, it is the same, yet always different. East Anglia’s enormous open skies calm the mind and allow your imagination to run more freely. The churches are an amazing testament to history and culture. They constantly remind you of the people who have lived and worshipped here. They seem so natural in the landscape that sometimes it is hard to remember they are created by the people who have made this place their own.

What is your East Anglian Hell?
I don’t really have an East Anglian Hell. Even when things seem bad, or the world seems unfriendly or challenging there is always somewhere beautiful to walk or visit. I was saddened by the rancour that was created by the Brexit vote. Norfolk had always struck me as a place that welcomed foreigners. The vote made me think that I didn’t know the place as well as I thought I did.

What’s your favourite East Anglian landmark?
Houghton Hall in West Norfolk is a remarkable place. It is a beautiful house, but it is the magnificent gardens and spectacular art installations in the grounds that make it a very special place. I have always loved the light artist James Turrell. His installation in the grounds of Houghton Hall is a wonderful example of his work. It is a very appropriate celebration of Norfolk’s amazing skies. The walled garden is a monument to the imagination of generation of gardeners who have helped create the gardens we see now. The whole place celebrates the history, ingenuity, and taste of those who have lived and worked there. The art reimagines the place. It makes everyone feel welcome in what was once a more secret aristocratic world.

What’s the best thing that happens in East Anglia every year?
Each year in November grey seals return to the Norfolk coast to give birth to their pups. It is wonderful to see the older seals swimming in the sea and lying on the beaches. The seal pups are adorable. They are reminder that we should preserve and care for species other than our own. In the 20th century these ancient animals were almost extinct. They were the first mammals to be protected. Their return to East Anglia each year is an inspiring indication that we can do something about preserving the environment for future generations.

What is your favourite restaurant?
Goulash House on St Stephen's Road Norwich serves authentic Hungarian cuisine. It has the character of a local neighbourhood restaurant and the staff are very friendly. They serve variations of a Hungarian spirit called Pálinka. It is an ideal end to a meal, but be careful, it can be as much as 44% proof.

What your specialist Mastermind subject?
I’m not sure I would feel confident on Mastermind. I’ve always been interested in many different subjects. I am always impressed by people who can specialise in something very particular. I am also very aware of what I don’t know, rather than what I do know. I was accused at school of having a grasshopper mind. I think that might have been an accurate observation.

What is always in your fridge?
There is always something that can make up the main part of an evening meal, chicken, beef, or prepared pasta. Added to that are staples like milk, butter, and cheese.

What’s your simple philosophy of life?
We should strive to be happy. It is much better to chase a dream than spend a lifetime mourning what you have not done. I’ve always tried to work at something I enjoyed rather than make lots of money. We should treat other people with respect even when that seems impossible. Each day is a gift so we should try and make the most of it. There is a lot to be said for putting others first and being sympathetic to their struggles and concerns. I know I often fail at doing this. I have found that when I stop striving so much for my own ambitions, it is a welcome relief. There is an amazing joy that comes from celebrating the achievements of other people.

What’s your favourite film?
La Reine Margot directed by Patrice Chereau, a brilliant director and the film contains beautiful images and superb acting. It is very much in the tradition of Grand European Cinema and has what could be called an operatic feel. It’s a fascinating insight into a difficult period of French history. It is set during the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre of 1572. In Paris, in the August of that year, Princess Margot a catholic princess married a protestant king of Navarre. After the wedding the protestant guests were massacred. Co-written by Chereau, the film shows him at the peak of his powers as a director. I’d go so far as to say that the film is a masterpiece.

What was your first job?
My first job was picking potatoes on the farm where my dad worked. I also helped bring in the harvest. It all seems very idyllic now. I often think of my family and my early life when I’m travelling through the farming areas of Norfolk. My father was a farm worker. I was brought up in a tied cottage. With increased mechanisation this way of life has been dying out for decades but here in Norfolk it continues. I particularly like the large farm vehicles that you constantly encounter on the roads here. They remind me of my father. I’ve been working on a wonderful play called Fen by the writer Caryl Churchill set in East Anglia. She manages not only to catch the rhythms of the language spoken here, she also bears testament to the hardship and difficulties of this way of life. Working on a farm always has the reward of living in the country but its tough for those living in tied cottages, you work for low wages with a house that is always connected to your employment.

What is your most treasured possession?
A Henry Irving Birthday Book signed by famous actors and singers of the late 19th, early 20th century. When I was at university, I found it in a jumble sale in Scotland. I knew what it was immediately. I bought it and took it as a sign that I should try and go into the theatre. I have asked various people that I have met during my career to sign it. I don’t know what it is worth, but I always think that if I am really hard up, I can sell the Birthday Book.

Who do you admire most?
I admire those folks who work as carers for other people. Carers are some of the most undervalued people in our society. They work for no money or for the minimum wage. They tend to children and those who can’t look after themselves. We seem to have organised our society in way that fails to reward or recognise the debt we owe these people. It is a sad society that makes it impossible for care workers to be able to live well on the wages they receive. They maintain the fabric of our society. Even after a pandemic it is deemed impossible to properly reward their daily acts of kindness.


What is your biggest indulgence?
Chocolate, I'm diabetic and should never eat it.

What do you like about yourself most?
I am incredibly grateful that I have the ability to be happy. I don't always get in touch with this part of me, but I know it is possible. I think that I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful and fulfilling life. It hasn’t been without moments of crisis but that is the nature of human existence. How can it be otherwise? I think I have managed to form meaningful and enduring friendships which have sustained and nurtured me. I’m glad I have done this and been able to love and be loved.

What’s your worst character trait?
Sometimes I become anxious and worried when there is no reason to do so. Directing plays and operas can be very stressful. There is a lot to consider. Anxiety doesn’t always help. Often, I have to remind myself that it is, after all, only a show. My identity isn’t necessarily tied up with its success. I’ve been doing this for years so why can’t I remain quietly confident?

Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Mexico. It is the most cultured place I know, a totally mesmerising country. I first went there about five years ago. I admit, I didn’t realise the depth and splendour of Pre-Colombian America. The Archaeological Museum in Mexico is a fantastic monument to the different peoples who lived in this part of the Americas. It’s filled with Mexicans who have a great pride in their history and those who lived there before them.

Best day of your life?
This is a hard question because I have had so many wonderful days in my life it seems churlish to choose just one. Professionally there have been many wonderful first nights, at the Makar Distillery in Glasgow, at Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, in Athens at the Greek National Opera and many more. Each one was special. In my personal life, the days on which I met my friend’s children for the first time. These days are always special. I have been lucky to see each of these babies grow into amazing human beings. And of course, the day I met my partner must be in some ways the best day of my life, even if I didn’t realise it at the time.

What’s your favourite breakfast?
Fried halloumi with eggs and tomatoes, a diabetic breakfast which is washed down with freshly made coffee.

What’s your favourite tipple?
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a Scot, I really enjoy a good malt whisky. I don’t drink much but two years ago I commissioned and produced an opera to be performed in distilleries throughout Scotland. That was a wonderful tour. I have never drunk so much whisky in my life.

What’s your hidden talent?
In school in Scotland we learn Scottish Country Dancing. As a kid, I loved doing this. Some of the boys would get dressed up in kilts and the girls in fancy dresses and we would take part on competitions. I have pictures of me with our team holding the local area cup. I can still do the Scottish Country Dance steps.

What’s your earliest memory?
It involves a litter of pups to which our dog, Bess, gave birth. My dad was a shepherd as well as a stockman and a tractor man. He always used border collies for his work. I still love these dogs and wish I had a lifestyle that could accommodate one. Bess gave birth to a largish litter and one of them was brown and white. Border collies are usually black and white. This brown puppy was named after me. I always remember seeing this little dog in the area just outside our cottage. I’m not sure what I thought. Maybe I was confused at the joint identity of me and this puppy. Maybe it was the moment I realised I was a human being? I don’t know what happened to the pup. Usually, the pups were given to other farm workers who needed a dog. I hope he had a brilliant life.

Tell us something people don’t know about you?
I have only one kidney. It was most likely a congenital defect that wasn’t diagnosed until I was 21. I spent a lot of my childhood complaining about a pain in my side. A doctor recommended a child psychiatrist as he could find no physical reason for the pain. I thought it’s me, I’m doing this to myself. I blocked out the pain except when it was unbearable. I had an operation when I was 21 to remove the offending debris that occupied caused by my missing kidney.

What’s the worst thing anyone has ever said to you?
I don't like to remember negative comments but as a theatre director I have to read negative reviews as well as good ones. I can honestly say I have managed to erase the bad as well as the good.

Tell us why you live here and nowhere else?
I live here because my work is here. I have a parallel life in Glasgow so am blessed in having two wonderful places to live. One the centre of a rural area, the other a large and busy industrial city.

What do you want to tell our readers about most?
I am directing two wonderful plays by Caryl Churchill in the UEA Drama Studio, Heart’s Desire and Blue Kettle. Performed by third year drama students under the season name LOVE TRIANGLES the season offers professional quality, accessible theatre, with high production values at very affordable ticket prices. The shows run on alternate days between Tuesday, December 7 and Sunday, December 12 so please do come and see them. The students are doing amazing work and it is wonderful to see their skill and enthusiasm. Tickets are priced just £7 (£5 concessions) and can be bought lovetriangles.co.uk where you can also find full information about the plays, performance dates and times.