James McDermott

James McDermott trained at the University of East Anglia with an MA (Distinction) in Scriptwriting, the Royal Court Writers Group, Soho Theatre’s Writers Lab, Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire: The Next Playwright Programme, Criterion Theatre’s New Writing Programme and Menagerie Theatre’s Young Writers Programme.

James’ plays published by Concord Theatricals include Time & Tide which was nominated for an OffWestEnd Award for Best New Play and longlisted for the Bruntwood and Verity Bargate Awards (Park Theatre and East of England Tour) and Rubber Ring, winner of Pulse Festival’s Suitcase Prize (Pleasance London and UK Tour). His other plays include Acid’s Reign (VAULT Festival), The Birds and The Bees (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and East of England Tour), Shanty (Sheringham Little Theatre), Ghosted (St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth and Out There Festival) and Robin Good: The Politico-Panto (Norwich Playhouse). He has also written plays for BBC Radio 4 and is one of the writers on EastEnders.

James’ poetry collections include Wild Life, shortlisted for The East Anglian Book Awards (Nine Arches Press), Erased (Polari Press) and Manatomy, longlisted for Polari’s First Book Prize (Burning Eye Books).

James is an Arvon writing tutor, teaches playwriting for the National Theatre’s New Views schools programme and lectures in creative writing at the University of East Anglia.