Richard trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where he won the Newton Blick Award for Outstanding Achievement. He is perhaps most well known for his appearances on children’s television playing many regular and recurring roles in various series, including Mr K in thirty episodes of The Mysti Show (CBBC) and Sir Gestion in twenty episodes of Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight In The Land (CITV). Other television credits include Love Hurts, Pie In The Sky, McGyver, Drop The Dead Donkey, Bliss, Oktober, Crossroads, Murder City, Casanova, Filth; The Mary Whitehouse Story, Life Of Riley, Doctors, The Jury and Eastenders. Most notably, he also played Officer Orrin in twenty-four episodes of Gerry Anderson’s Space Precinct.

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His film credits include appearing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in Great Expectations, alongside Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds in A Bunch Of Amateurs and with the stars of Monty Python as Geoffrey Weasel in Terry Jones’ Wind In The Willows. Other film appearances include A Lover’s Prayer, Julius Caesar, Penelope, Stormbreaker, The Wolf Man and Foster.

On stage, he is most closely associated with adaptations of David Walliams' most famous books. He toured extensively as 'Awful' Aunt Alberta in Awful Auntie for the Birmingham Stage Company and played various roles in their Olivier-nominated Gangsta Granny (culminating in a sell out run at London’s Garrick Theatre). Following this, he embarked on an arena tour of the UK in Walliams' Grandpa's Great Escape featuring Nigel Planer. He has also played Alex in Outside Edge (Derby Playhouse), Doctor Mortimer and Inspector Lestrade in The Hound Of The Baskervilles (New Victoria, Newcastle-Under-Lyme) and toured the UK in a two man show, Thunderbirds FAB. Richard has also directed and performed in many productions of his own plays.

GALLERY

BOWMAN OF THE YARD

The Bowman Of The Yard series is a sequence of Victorian crime fiction novels and short stories following Detective Inspector George Bowman of Scotland Yard throughout the year of 1892.

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Richard takes the reader right to the heart of Victorian London, introducing them to a range of fascinating characters through his flawed hero, Inspector George Bowman of Scotland Yard. Bringing the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian England to life, the Bowman Of The Yard series is a thrilling and often explosive journey through a troubled man's year...

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'A genuinely impressive debut. Richard James has crafted an engrossing mystery with a great sense of atmosphere, and meticulously researched.' Andrew Cartmel, The Vinyl Detective

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'A stunning debut. Wonderfully atmospheric, full of the thrills of Victorian London.' Adam Croft

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'A masterful new Victorian mystery series.' Rosie Amber Books

Book 1: The Head In The Ice

Book 3: The Body In The Trees

Book 2: The Devil In The Dock

Book 4: The Phantom In The Fog

Vol. 1: City Of Death

Vol. 2: City Of Fear

Victoriana

SPACE PRECINCT

Richard's connection with legendary television producer Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Space: 1999) stretches back to the early 1990s when he played Officer Orrin in Gerry's last live-action series, Space Precinct. Since then, his association with the worlds of Gerry Anderson has grown through his co-hosting the Gerry Anderson Podcast with Gerry's son, Jamie, and writing and adapting various novels and non-fiction books connected to Space Precinct and (coming soon!) other series.

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'Now fans of the series and Anderson's body of work alike can enjoy a comprehensive, witty insight into the show's history...' Den of Geek, Space Precinct Unmasked

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'It’s a wonderful introduction to the series and really expands the characters. Even if you haven’t seen the series it’s a great stand alone story.' Amazon Review, Demeter City

Space Precinct: Unmasked

Space Precinct: Demeter City

Space Precinct: Revisited

OTHER TITLES

Other titles include a children's story for young people between the ages of 8 and 11, a short story guaranteed to chill the blood and, coming soon, more stories from the Gerry Anderson universe...

Andy's Android

What Dreams May Come

one act plays

Richard has written almost thirty plays of varying lengths. They have all been published by Lazy Bee Scripts and have been performed all over the world, from America to New Zealand, frequently winning awards in competitions and festivals. Click the pictures below for more information.

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'Richard's plays win so many awards we have difficulty keeping up!' Lazy Bee Scripts

FULL LENGTH PLAYS

PLAYS FOR KIDS