Who's behind the musical?
James Hall
James Hall was a ten-pound pom. He emigrated to Australia in 1963, returning to the UK in 1975 after starting his Australian rock career as a lead guitarist and touring at the age of twelve! In his early teens, James continued to perform with a series of Melbourne-based groups, working alongside many of Australia’s finest musical outfits, including the Skyhooks and AC/DC.
In the UK, James became a sought after freelance session guitarist working and touring with many well-known artistes, including: Mott the Hoople (Remake), Lee Fardon and the Legionnaires, Dire Straits, Annie Lennox and the Pretenders amongst many others. It was during this period that James met Carl Leighton-Pope.
In the 1980s, James built a successful London-based recording studio. In 1983, he started work on his debut 'crossover musical', Bernard Tropp's Unfinished Musical, which was produced at The Kenton Theatre (Henley) 1987 and The Wilde Theatre (Bracknell) in 1990. Carnaby Street was conceived at this time and showcased at The Arts Theatre (London) in August 1997.
James continues to write musicals and his latest creation, Make Believe, was debuted at The Kenton Theatre in Henley in 2009, raising funds for The Prince's Trust.