James Dacre
James Dacre is a British theatre director.
He is Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate in Northampton.
Career
After studying at Cambridge University and as a Fulbright Scholar in Theatre Directing at Columbia University School of the Arts, Dacre worked as an assistant director to twelve directors including Anne Bogart, Robert Woodruff and Silviu Purcărete and trained on the ITV/Channel 4 Regional Theatre Director Scheme at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent. Subsequently he became Associate Director at the New Vic Theatre and Theatre503.
He has directed and developed new work by playwrights Katori Hall, Amanda Whittington, Arthur Miller, Roy Williams, David Eldridge, Mike Poulton, Dawn King, Ron Hutchinson, Edward Kemp, Dan O'Brien, Ella Hickson, Molly Davies, Torben Betts, Amy Herzog, Dic Edwards, Suzan-Lori Parks and Bekah Brunstetter and composers Orlando Gough, These New Puritans, White Lies, Rachel Portman, James Johnston and Elena Langer. During his tenure, Royal & Derngate has also premiered new work by Nicholas Wright, Tamsin Oglesby, Phil Porter, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Ayub Khan-Din, Tim Crouch, Peepolykus, Oladipo Agboluaje, Spymonkey, Georgia Pritchett and many others.
Selected work
- King John by William Shakespeare (Royal & Derngate, Shakespeare's Globe, Temple Church, Salisbury Cathedral and UK Tour to mark the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta)
- World Premiere of The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Trafalgar Studios), 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play, nominated for a further five Olivier, Whatsonstage and Evening Standard Awards
- World Premiere of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, adapted by Dawn King, composed by These New Puritans, (Royal & Derngate and National Tour)
- World Premiere of Arthur Miller's The Hook, (Royal & Derngate and Everyman Theatre)
- As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Shakespeare's Globe, UK and European Tour and 2012 revival)
- King James Bible (Royal National Theatre)
- Premiere of Holy Warriors by David Eldridge (Shakespeare's Globe)
- "The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan (Royal Exchange Theatre), 2013 TMA Award for Best Design Team
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (Royal & Derngate and Royal Exchange Theatre and Northern Stage, with original music by White Lies (band)
- Premiere of Tale of Two Cities adapted by Mike Poulton, composed by Rachel Portman, (Royal & Derngate), 2014 TMA nomination for Best Design Team
- European premiere of The Body of an American by Dan O'Brien (Gate Theatre) and (Royal & Derngate), nominated for an Evening Standard Award
- Premiere of The Thrill of Love by Amanda Whittington (New Vic Theatre and Stephen Joseph Theatre) before transferring to St. James Theatre, finalist for the 2013 Writers Guild Best New Play Award.
- Premiere of Judgement Day by Mike Poulton, after When We Dead Awaken by Henrik Ibsen (The Print Room), Ian Charleson Best Actress Commendation
- European premiere of 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog (Bath Theatre Royal) and (The Print Room), 2013 Pulitzer Prize Finalist
- Bus Stop by William Inge (New Vic Theatre and Stephen Joseph Theatre)
- Premiere of Precious Little Talent by Ella Hickson (Trafalgar Studios), Best Play, London Theatre Festival Awards 2011, nominated for an Evening Standard Award
- Co-Directed premiere of The Unconquered by Torben Betts (Stellar Quines Theatre Company, UK Tour and Off-Broadway Transfer)
- Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill (New Vic Theatre)
- Premiere of Orpheus and Eurydice: A Myth Underground in a new adaptation by Molly Davies with music by James Johnston, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (National Youth Theatre / Old Vic Tunnels)
- Premiere of The Error of Their Ways by Torben Betts (HERE Arts Centre, New York)
- Copenhagen by Michael Frayn (New Vic Theatre)
- Baal by Bertolt Brecht (Riverside Church, New York)
- Broken (An adaptation of Ernst Toller's Hinkemann by Torben Betts, 2012)
- Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach (Cambridge Arts Theatre)
- Premiere of PMQ by Ella Hickson (Theatre503 and HighTide)
