The Director – James Brining
Most recently he directed Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Prior to that he directed A Christmas Carol, Balgay Hill, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (nominated best director/best production CATS awards 2009), the original production and the subsequent tour of Sunshine on Leith (which won 2 TMA Awards and was also nominated best director/best production CATS Awards 2008). Also at Dundee Rep he has directed Romeo and Juliet, Jack and the Beanstalk, Sweet Bird of Youth, Gypsy, Flora the Red Menace, A Lie Of The Mind, Dumbstruck!, Dr Korczak’s Example (schools tour and international tour to Japan) and Cinderella (the last 2 shows both nominated for Best Children’s Show in 2006 CATS Awards).
James was previously Artistic Director of TAG Theatre Company in Glasgow where he directed over 20 productions including Othello, Julius Caesar, Dr Faustus, Antigone, Stroma, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Playing with Fire and Worksong. His productions of King Matt and Dr Korczak's Example were invited to the London International Festival of Theatre in 2003, the first Scottish company to be invited to the Festival in its 25 year history. Whilst at TAG he also developed the drama and democracy project, Making the Nation which led to his working in Japan, Denmark, Greece, Italy as well as in the Scottish Parliament.
Before TAG James worked at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond where his directing work included The Merchant of Venice, Bitter Lemon, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter's Tale, The Taming of the Shrew and Go Tell It On Table Mountain (to celebrate the theatre's 30th anniversary). Previous to that he was Artistic Director of Proteus Theatre Company in Basingstoke a new writing small-scale touring theatre company.
He has directed radio drama for BBC Radio Scotland, opera at London's South Bank Centre, readings for the Tron Theatre Glasgow and Fishamble in Dublin, two large-scale outdoor community productions and in summer 2006 he directed Whisky Kisses which was short listed for the “Highland Quest for a New Musical”.
He was born in Leeds and studied at Cambridge University. He has taught and lectured at the RSAMD, QMUC and Glasgow University, is a member of the Creative and Cultural Skills Council and is on the Board of the Federation of Scottish Theatre.
