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 played classical guitar since the age of eight, this music was her first love. She began by writing classical guitar pieces with a Spanish twist for soloists, before progressing to composing for guitar ensembles, with her work performed in shows and concert settings. Paula began singing even earlier, taking classical singing lessons from the age of ten and quickly falling in love with it.

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She trained as an actor at Drama Studio London and immediately began incorporating her musical talents into her acting career. In 2011, she wrote and performed the score for Look, But You Must Leap with Firstdraft Theatre. That same year, she contributed songs to Lazarus Theatre Company’s Electra, and in 2017 helped devise music for Hiccup Theatre's The Gingerbread Man. In 2020, she arranged and performed music for Guildford Shakespeare Company’s Thy Eternal Summer, and in 2017 composed and performed the score for the short play Dead Reckoning (Five Plays) at the Young Vic. The summer of 2017 also saw the release of her debut solo EP, Shelter.

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In addition to her extensive experience in new musicals and family shows featuring actor-musicians, Paula has toured the UK with 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.

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In recent years, Paula’s focus has included studio recordings and screen work. She contributed to cast recordings for the new musical Bluff and the album Goldi Red and Gingerbread during the lockdowns. She has also appeared on Roughcut’s JERK (2022) and BBC’s EastEnders (2025).

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In February 2024, Paula was awarded a 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 gave her space for research and composition, leading to her first Composer and Musical Director role on The Importance of Being Earnest at Storyhouse Chester’s Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre. She’s thrilled to be returning there this summer as Composer and Musical Director for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

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Take a look through this website for more information, music samples and details of Paula’s projects.