James is a well-known interpreter of classic musical theatre, notably Sondheim and Weill. Work includes Wonderful Town (Vienna Volksoper), The King and I (Chatelet, Paris); Carousel (RNT); Sweeney Todd, KissMe, Kate (Opera North/WNO), Carousel, Into the Woods, One Touch of Venus, Arms and the Cow, Paradise Moscow, SevenDeadly Sins (ON) Into the Woods, Magical Night (ROH2) Street Scene (ENO/Berlin/DVD), Pacific Overtures (ENO/US ‘Grammy’-nominated recording). Plans include Street Scene (ON) and a return to Vienna. A Trustee of the Kurt Weill Foundation New York, in 2018 he became only the seventh ever recipient of the Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.