James Hadley is Executive Director of Musical Theatre Network. He joined the organisation just in time to help shape the first BEAM showcase in 2016. Prior to this he was a Relationship Manager in the London Theatre team at Arts Council England for seven years, with a particular focus on investments in musical theatre. During that time he managed 8 National Portfolio Organisations’ funding relationships, advising a wide range of independent theatre practitioners on their project funding applications, and advocating for increased funding support for the development of new British musicals. While born and raised in England, James spent his university years in New Zealand, gaining two Masters degrees – one in Art History & Theory, the other in Theatre Directing.
After graduating, James worked for the British Council, Playmarket – NZ’s playwrights agency and script development service, and as Programme Manager at BATS Theatre – one of New Zealand’s leading venues for new writing and independent theatremakers.
Between the ages of 21 and 32 he directed over 30 theatre productions, including new writing, classics, devised theatre and immersive site-specific productions. He also produced over 20 theatre productions over that same time, as well as writing several plays and reviewing and marketing many more. James has been a dedicated follower of musical theatre since the age of seven when he discovered his mother’s LP record of ‘Annie’ (his uncle having been one of the producers of the original Broadway production), and a particular devotee to British musicals since purchasing cassette tapes of ‘Song & Dance’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ at the age of ten.