James Dacre

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British theatre director

title: "James Dacre" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1984-births", "living-people", "english-theatre-directors", "english-artistic-directors", "people-educated-at-eton-college", "alumni-of-jesus-college,-cambridge", "columbia-university-school-of-the-arts-alumni", "dacre-family-(journalism)"] description: "British theatre director" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dacre" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British theatre director ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameJames Dacre
birth_nameJames Charles Dacre
birth_date
educationEton
alma mater
occupationTheatre director
titleArtistic director, Royal & Derngate
parents
relativesPeter Dacre (grandfather)
website
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| name = James Dacre | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = James Charles Dacre | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | education = Eton | alma mater = | occupation = Theatre director | title = Artistic director, Royal & Derngate | term = | predecessor = | successor = | boards = | spouse = | children = | parents = | relatives = Peter Dacre (grandfather) | website = | known for =

James Charles Dacre (born May 1984) is a British theatre, opera and film director and producer. He was artistic director of Royal & Derngate Theatres in Northampton from 2013-2023 and prior to that held Associate Director roles at The New Vic Theatre, Theatre503 and The National Youth Theatre.

Early years

James Dacre was born in 1984, the son of Paul Dacre, former editor of the Daily Mail. He won a King's Scholarship to Eton where he won the Newcastle Scholarship. He then studied Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion at Jesus College, Cambridge where he edited Varsity, the student newspaper and directed at the ADC, taking several productions to the Edinburgh Festival. On graduating, he won a Fulbright Scholarship and Shubert Fellowship to study Theatre Directing at Columbia University School of the Arts in New York. Dacre then worked as an assistant director to twelve directors including Anne Bogart, Robert Woodruff and Silviu Purcărete, and trained on the ITV/Channel 4 regional theatre director scheme at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.

Career

On returning from America, Dacre directed and produced The Mountaintop, which transferred to the West End and went on to become the surprise winner of the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play. Subsequently, he became Associate Director at the New Vic Theatre and Theatre503 and directed in the West End and at Shakespeare's Globe, Royal Exchange Theatre, Royal National Theatre and many regional theatres before taking up his current role at Royal & Derngate. He held this role for a decade, producing more than 120 shows of which 60 toured both nationally and internationally and 42 transferred to London and were recognised with Olivier, Evening Standard, WhatsOnStage and The Stage awards.

In 2015, Royal & Derngate won the UK Theatre Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre, for an ambitious season of productions staged nationwide, including the world premiere of Arthur Miller's The Hook produced to mark the centenary of his birth and Shakespeare's King John staged at Shakespeare's Globe, Salisbury Cathedral, Temple Church and The Holy Sepulchre to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta.

In 2016, Royal & Derngate was shortlisted for The Stage's Regional Theatre of the Year Award, having reached more than half a million audiences across the UK and toured to over 65 theatres that year. Also in 2016, Dacre's production of The Herbal Bed won Best Touring Production at the UK Theatre Awards. In 2019/20 the venue was chosen as Outstanding Theatre of the Year by Michael Billington won the Olivier Award for Best Family Entertainment. Dacre directed the world premiere of The Two Popes by Anthony McCarten with Anton Lesser and Nicholas Woodeson, which was subsequently adapted into the 2020 Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated film The Two Popes.

Selected work

References

References

  1. (4 April 2013). "James Dacre announced as new artistic director at Royal & Derngate". Evening Standard.
  2. "James Charles DACRE".
  3. (21 January 2013). "James Dacre interview: 'In ten minutes almost a thousand men were slaughtered'". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. Lawson, Mark. (16 September 2014). "James Dacre: Theatres must learn to collaborate more". The Guardian.
  5. djg39@cam.ac.uk. (16 December 2013). "Alumni profiles – Faculty of Divinity".
  6. Coveney, Michael. (15 August 2004). "A new Dacre take on morality". The Guardian.
  7. (4 June 2015). "James Dacre brings his acclaimed version of Shakespeare's 'King". The Independent.
  8. "James Dacre: Director".
  9. "Directors, alumni and past participants – RTYDS".
  10. (23 March 2010). "James Dacre: American words, British production". The Independent.
  11. Malvern, Jack. "Katori Hall wins Best New Play title at Olivier Awards".
  12. (18 August 2015). "Theatre503 appoints new associate directors {{!}} News {{!}} The Stage". The Stage.
  13. Henley, Matthew. (Oct 13, 2022). "James Dacre to step down as artistic director of Royal and Derngate".
  14. (13 October 2022). "James Dacre to step down as Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate after a decade next Spring".
  15. (August 2025). "Franco-British Young Leader Biographies".
  16. (2016). "Interview with Director James Dacre". The Arthur Miller Journal.
  17. Masters, Tim. (24 November 2014). "Unseen Arthur Miller drama set for world premiere". BBC News.
  18. Trueman, Matt. (10 June 2015). "Arthur Miller's The Hook: world premiere for 'snarling beast of a play'". The Guardian.
  19. Sulcas, Roslyn. (24 June 2015). "Arthur Miller's Screenplay 'The Hook' Finds a Home Onstage in England". The New York Times.
  20. "King John, Shakespeare's Globe, review: 'could hardly be more timely'". Telegraph.co.uk.
  21. "Salisbury International Arts Festival 2015 diary: Day 4". Telegraph.co.uk.
  22. "King John, by the Globe Theatre, at the Salisbury Festival {{!}} Magna Carta Trails".
  23. "The Stage Awards 2016 {{!}} The Stage". The Stage.
  24. (8 February 2016). "'The Herbal Bed', Shakespeare's daughter and modern media intrusion". The Independent.
  25. "UK Theatre Award Winners 2016".
  26. Odell, Carly. (14 Oct 2022). "Royal & Derngate's artistic director stepping down after 10 years at the helm of Northampton theatre".
  27. Orme, Steve. (26 October 2020). "Worst Witch wins Olivier for Northampton theatre".
  28. Howson, Amanda. (26 September 2022). "Gripping drama The Two Popes returns to Royal & Derngate in Northampton".

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1984-birthsliving-peopleenglish-theatre-directorsenglish-artistic-directorspeople-educated-at-eton-collegealumni-of-jesus-college,-cambridgecolumbia-university-school-of-the-arts-alumnidacre-family-(journalism)