James Dangerfield is an actor, singer and musician. He has worked with composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, filmmaker Mike Leigh and has played some of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters. James has performed in the West End, at Glastonbury Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe. He’s toured around the UK and performed in several countries across the world. An experienced violinist, James often works as an actor-musician, and he composes on the piano.

James’s award-winning show When You Fall Down- The Buster Keaton Story most recently toured the UK in 2021. The one man musical premiered in the USA in 2017. It then embarked on a 2018 UK Tour, including sell-out London shows and its West End debut at The Other Palace. Following more overseas performances in Paris, France, it appeared at The Pleasance Edinburgh for the whole of August. The show was a huge success, winning a prestigious ThreeWeeks Editors’ Choice award, an appearance on Pick of The Fringe and was one of 10 nominees for Musical Theatre Review’s “Best Musical at the Fringe”. The Soundtrack to the show is available here.

Theatre includes: Henry in Henry V, Kate in The Taming of The Shrew, Orlando in As You Like It, Michael Gove in Brexit The Musical, Bruce Forsyth in Kathy, The Cat in Honk! (UK Tour), Old Green Grasshopper in James and The Giant Peach (World Tour), Walter Rat in Money Go Round (UK Tour), Scurvy Sam/ Clockwork Fiddler in The Pirate Cruncher (UK Tour), Rufus in Bumblescratch (The Adelphi), Phobia Phil in Seize the Cheese (New Wimbledon), Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance (two UK tours), actor-musician/ensemble in Rags (UK Revival), Tom Ferrier in Free as Air (London Revival), Greg in When Midnight Strikes, Jerry Lukowski in The Full Monty, Buster Keaton in Sweet F.A., Man in Ed Fringe; The Musical Revue, Fred in Captain Hacker’s Treasure, Brian McKinnery in Grit. In 16 seasons of pantomime, James has played Buttons, Fleshcreep, Smee, Wishee Washee, The Wolf, Muddles and Dandini.

Film & TV includes: Peterloo (Mike Leigh), Treasure (BBC), La Bohème, The Sikh Soldier, Prawn, Mayday, Brexit Nativity (advert) and D.O.N.T. (music video).

Recordings include: Bumblescratch (original cast recording), Free as Air, (London revival cast recording),  When You Fall Down- The Buster Keaton Story (soundtrack) and Legal English (audiobook).

Concerts and workshops include: West End Live, Chéri, My Mental Breakdown and The Golden Age of Radio.

Originally from the North West of England, James studied at Guildford School of Acting and has a degree in English Literature from Durham University. He’s also interested in drawing and graphic design. In 2020 he published his debut graphic novel Nzatna.

For more information, you can visit James on Spotlight.