James Graham (playwright)


James Graham is a British playwright and screenwriter. His work has been staged throughout the UK and internationally, at theatres including the Bush, Soho Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru and the National Theatre.

Biography

Graham grew up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and was educated at Ashfield Comprehensive School and the University of Hull, where he studied drama.
Graham's first professional play Albert's Boy was produced by the Finborough Theatre in London, where Graham became playwright-in-residence. His first major play This House was commissioned by the Royal National Theatre, where it was critically and commercially acclaimed, transferred to the larger Olivier Theatre, and was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Play. This House was revived in 2016 and ran for two years, first in the West End and then on a national tour. In 2018 Graham won his first Olivier Award, for Labour of Love as best new comedy. He wrote the book for the Broadway musical Finding Neverland, and two of his own plays, Privacy and Ink, transferred to Broadway.
Graham's debut feature film X+Y premiered in 2015, and he has written numerous TV dramas, including the TV films Coalition and . In 2019 Graham wrote and executive produced a three-part TV adaptation of his stage play Quiz which aired in 2020.
In June 2018 Graham was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in its "40 Under 40" initiative.
In January 2019, Graham's life and work was the subject of an in-depth BBC One documentary as part of the Imagine series.
In May 2019 his play This House was voted Play of the Decade in Bloomsbury Publishing's '60 Years of Modern Plays' public vote.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to drama and young people in British theatre.
His plays are published by Methuen.

Work