James Hurley read English at Cambridge University and holds an MPhil in American Literature, specialising in dramatist David Mamet.

His directing credits include: La rondine (Opera North); Chérubin, Le Docteur Miracle (Royal Academy of Music); Le nozze di Figaro (Kilden Teater-og Konserhus); L’ospedale (Aldeburgh/Wilton’s Music Hall); Don Giovanni (British Youth Opera); L’elisir d’amore (Iford Arts); La belle Hélène, Idomeneo, Venus and Adonis, Noye’s Fludde, Brundibar (Blackheath Halls); Mansfield Park (Opera South).

He began his career with ETO and has worked on the directing staff at the National Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, ROH, Salzburg Festival, Royal Danish Opera, Barbican, Edinburgh International Festival, ENO and Glyndebourne.

He has directed revivals of The Magic Flute (ETO) and La traviata (GOT) and was associate director on The Marriage of Figaro (Opera North). He regularly makes site-responsive productions for unconventional spaces.

Highlights include collaborations with The Opera Story and I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Pop-Up Opera) which was filmed as part of the BBC/British Council’s Shakespeare 400 celebrations.

As a translator, he has written new English versions of Donizetti’s Rita and Chabrier’s Une education manquée