James Ley

James Ley is an award winning writer living in Glasgow. He wrote and directed Ode to Joy (How Gordon got to go to the nasty pig party) winner of a Scotsman Fringe First in 2022 and nominated for a CATS Award 2023 (Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland) for Best New Play.

James was co-writer with Damian Barr on Maggie & Me (National Theatre of Scotland). His other plays include Wilf (Traverse Theatre) and Love Song to Lavender Menace (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Summerhall, SoHo Playhouse, New York). James is under commission to Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Wonder Fools.

A BBC Writersroom Scottish Voices 2022/2023 and Edinburgh Film Festival Talent Lab alumni, James has written a feature adaptation of Love Song to Lavender Menace, in development with Compact Pictures. He is currently developing his gay action comedy short film Sleazy Tiger with Short Circuit through the Sharp Shorts scheme. He has just been awarded First Feature funding from Short Circuit to adapt Ode to Joy into his first feature as writer/director.

Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan