Remembering Peter James CBE (1940-2025), former long-serving Chair of Trustees

We’re sad to share that grandee of British theatre and ODAC’s former long-serving Chair of Trustees Peter James passed away over the weekend.

Peter James was Chair of Trustees of Diorama Arts Centre between 1995 and 2021, handing over the Chairship to Edward Burnett in early 2021, and resigning as a Trustee in October, taking on the honorary title of Chair Emeritus. Peter was one of this charity’s greatest friends and supporters, and a passionate advocate for the vital need for space for artists.

Peter was one of the country’s leading theatre directors, artistic directors and teachers, and with a career-spanning passion for community engagement. His early career was shaped in 1964 when he was one of the three founders of the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. In 1971, Peter then went on to the nascent Royal National Theatre at the Old Vic, working as Associate Director alongside Laurence Oliver and Peter Hall. He was appointed Artistic Director of the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield from 1974 - 1981, then went on to lead London’s Lyric Hammersmith until 1992. Peter left leading theatre buildings to move into training the next generation through theatre education, taking on the role of Principal of LAMDA from 1994 - 2010, where he was working when he took on the role as Chair of Diorama Arts Centre. He then most recently served as Head of Theatre Directing at Mountview until his retirement. Peter was awarded a CBE in 2011 for his contribution to the arts.

At Diorama, Peter worked alongside former long-serving Director of Diorama Arts Centre and current Company Secretary Mark Ross for over 25 years, formalising the transition from the early days in the original Diorama building to a professional and trusted organisation, and rehoming the centre several times. He was also integral in developing the relationship and ODAC’s move to British Land’s Regent’s Place campus, where ODAC and New Diorama Theatre have found a permanent home.

Peter was on the deciding panel of Trustees who appointed the current Creative Director & Chief Executive, Daniel Pitt, to the role in early 2021, again trusting and investing in the next generation.

Mark Ross shares his memories of transforming the charity back then together…

“Peter and I met in the early 60’s as fellow post-graduates at the University of Bristol Drama Department. It was the first department of Drama created in the UK. Much of the early wave of contemporary theatre was in some manner floating in and out of that department.  Impossible goals and over-reaching proposals guided our futures. Safe projects rarely considered. Beckett’s mantra…most appropriate… ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again...Fail Better.’

Some collaborative across-the-pond projects followed, including bringing the troupe of actors from The Everyman in Liverpool to perform in a mobile theatre in the streets and parks of Tulsa Oklahoma, Bible Belt of the USA, and Peter producing one of Mark’s creations, The Zoo of Tranquility with Slyvester McCoy (then current Dr Who) twice at the Lyric.

Therefore it seemed only suitable, not too many moons later, that Peter should be enlisted to aid in wrangling the most unlikely assortment of creative Londoners in a decrepit building in Regent’s Park - “Daguerre’s historic innovative Diorama” - into a suitable cohort to convince The Crown Estate that a collaborative future was a reasonable future… and further at a later phase, British Land, to extend that tenure.

Somehow over the decades Peter failed…..failed to fail!”

If you’d like to hear Peter’s reflections on his career, there’s a great video interview with him on the Mountview website.

LAMDA’s In Memoriam article with more personal reflections is here.