James Blakey was associate director on Retrospective in Grassington and Memorial in Harrogate.
He is a founding director of Oscar Mike, a company who create live performance that crosses the boundary between theatre and gaming. For Oscar Mike directing includes This City (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Falling Sickness (Theatre in the Mill), True Colours (Library Theatre / Northern Stage at St Stephens). Oscar Mike is currently under commission from Hull Truck and The Lowry to make The Situation Room, an interactive political thriller that will tour nationally in autumn 2012. Visit http://www.oscarmike.org.uk for more details.
Other recent directing includes Scary Gorgeous (RashDash / Bedlam Theatre), 21 Writers (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Freshers (24:7 Theatre Festival).
James works extensively with young people interested in creating their own pieces of performance. He has done so for First Floor, The Octagon Theatre, Bolton City Council, The National Association of Youth Theatres and is a regular visiting artist on the Young Theatre Makers programme.
He trained on the Arts Council MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck College and was seconded to LAMDA and Motley Theatre Design School. In 2010-2011 he was resident assistant director at West Yorkshire Playhouse, assisting on five productions and working dramaturgically with emerging writers from throughout the region.
