James has been a professional writer and director for nearly twenty years, with experience in radio advertising, corporate creative writing, novel adaptations, scripting for musicals and original plays.
In April 2018, James’ first, original, long-form play, Paradise Road was premiered at Sheffield Library Theatre, produced by Tales Retold.
Works
Much of James’ previous work has been commissioned by The Peel Entertainment Group, a production company specialising in entertainment in venues as diverse as theatres, cruise ships, hotels and stately homes. James’ works for Peel have included writing and/or directing short plays, scripts for musicals, murder mysteries and vignettes. He has directed over twenty professional productions of classic and lesser-known works, from Shakespeare to modern dramas and comedies by Alan Ayckbourn, John Mortimer, Willy Russell, Mike Leigh, Richard Harris and many more.
Works of particular note include:-
2006: Assistant Director to Colin Ford (CBE) for Broughton Open Air Festival’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
2011: Writer of an adaptation of Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty for national tours of country house gardens in 2011 and 2012.
“It’s hard to believe that James Stone’s glorious adaptation of Anna Sewell’s Victorian classic is Black Beauty’s first canter into theatre”
– Nick Dines, The Stage.
2012: Writer and Director of The Chapel Cleve Ghost Express, a theatrical Ghost Walk commissioned for Channel 4’s Country House Rescue.
2015: Writer and Director of Death on The Ocean Wave: a six-part murder mystery performed during a special Castles, Gardens and Mystery Cruise, for Fred Olsen Cruises, MV Boudicca.
2016: Writer and Director for Bard On Board: a special five-night event on Celebrity Cruise Lines’ MV Silhouette, to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
James Stone 