A little about Paula...
Paula James is an actor, puppeteer, singer, composer, musical director, writer and musician who plays classical, electric and bass guitar, upright and double bass, mandolin and keyboard. Having studied classical guitar under Peter Woodings from the age of eight to 18, the guitar understandably became her most prevailing love. She began writing classical guitar pieces for soloists before progressing to composing for guitar ensembles and casts, and her work has been performed in shows and concerts in the UK, Italy and Norway.
Paula began singing at an even earlier age, attending classical singing lessons with Malcolm Parker from the age of 10 and developing her style and vocal versatility over the years.
Two years ago, Paula was awarded an Arts Council DYCP (Developing Your Creative Practice) grant, which allowed her dedicated time to develop her artistry as a composer for theatre and live arts. This invaluable opportunity led to her first Composer and Musical Director role on the actor-muso production of The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Natasha Rickman, at Storyhouse Chester’s 500-seat open-air theatre in Grosvenor Park.
She has since worked as composer and musical director on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, directed by Matt Hassall (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond), and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, directed by Ellie Hurt (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), while also working as a musical director and music supervisor, and continuing her work as a performer.
Paula closed out last year with a fantastic run of Styles & Drewe’s The Three Little Pigs, directed by Jade Lewis, at the Unicorn Theatre and CFT’s Minerva Theatre, and 2025 saw her returning to EastEnders in her role as Justine, as well as working on Paramount’s thriller series The Agency.
Since graduating from Drama Studio London, Paula has gained extensive experience on stage in plays, new musicals and family shows featuring actor-musicians. She has toured the UK, performing in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s FE: The Comedy of Errors (2018), Goblin Theatre’s The Lost Spells (2023) and Tutti Frutti’s Snow Child (2016), which also toured internationally.
She works regularly as a theatre deviser, contributing to the creation and development of productions as both performer and creative, including R&Ds for The Firework Maker’s Daughter (Polka Theatre), Velkro (A New Musical) directed by Lucy Betts, and Jockstrap (The Production Exchange). She can be heard on the studio cast recordings for the comedy musical Bluff by Ed Zander and Matt Cavendish, and the album Goldi, Red and Gingerbread by Hiccup Theatre, and her solo EP Shelter.
Take a look through this website for more information, music samples and details of Paula’s projects.