LIVING THEATRE develops and produces drama and musical theatre for stage production
LIVING MUSIC creates concert performances, new operas and curates festival experiences
LIVING ARTS releases podcasts, radio plays, live broadcasts and films
Current Projects
Living Theatre is co-producing Terence Rattigan’s Summer 1954 with Sian Philipps, Nathaniel Parker and Lolita Chakrabarti, opening at Theatre Royal Bath and touring the UK. Upcoming dates include Chichester Festival Theatre (21 – 25 Jan 2025), Richmond Theatre (27 Jan – 1 Feb 2025), Cheltenham Everyman Theatre (3 – 8 Feb 2025) and Oxford Playhouse (11 – 15 Feb 2025).Living Arts co-produced Alecky Blythe’s docu-drama Family Business about family relationships, national identity and commerce, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and available to stream on BBC Sounds.
Weacted as Executive Producer and Creative Producer on Four Quartets with Ralph Fiennes which reopened 8 regional theatres after the pandemic, transferred to the West End and was adapted into a feature film that recently premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival and is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Living Theatre recently co-produced the world premiere of David Edgar’s Here in America with Shaun Evans and Michael Aloni at The Orange Tree Theatre.
Living Music developed the concept and business model for Nevill Holt Festival 2024 with James Dacre acting as Guest Festival Director, curating the festival’s inaugural programme that championed 150 artists and welcomed 12,000 audience members across 60 opera, concert, conversation, exhibition, theatre and comedy events including Melly Still’s The Magic Flute featuring Britten Sinfonia, a centenary retrospective of Anthony Caro’s sculpture, a celebration of British Pop artist Pauline Boty and new work from Jalen Ngonda, Alexis Ffrench, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Benjamin Kwasi-Burrell, Isabella Gellis and Cécile McLorin Salvant alongside conversations and talks from leading artists and thinkers.
Our Background
Living Productions was founded in 2023 by James Dacre. For ten years until May 2023 James was Artistic Director at Royal & Derngate Theatres, where he produced 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. James is Chair of Theatre503, a Board Director of Spirit of 2012, a Trustee for The Theatres Trust and Talawa Theatre Company and a Franco-British Young Leader.
Previous Projects
The Two Popes by Anthony McCarten with Anton Lesser and Nicholas Woodeson, which received its world premiere at Royal & Derngate, toured the UK, transferred to The Rose Theatre and was subsequently adapted into the 2020 Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated Netflix film.The world premiere of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop with David Harewood and Lorraine Burroughs, which won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play following its West End run and saw it’s cast nominated for Olivier, Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage awards.
The 2020 Olivier Award nominated Our Lady of Kibeho by Katori Hall, which premiered at Royal & Derngate and transferred to Theatre Royal Stratford East.
The Olivier Award winning The Worst Witch which premiered at Royal & Derngate, toured the UK and played in the West End.