James Blakey is a founding member and Company Co-Director of Oscar Mike. His work for the company as a theatre director and game designer includes The Situation Room, True Colours, The Falling Sickness and This City. Along with Tom Mansfield, he runs workshops for Oscar Mike on the meeting points between theatre and live gaming. 

James is also a freelance theatre director and has directed for companies including The Octagon Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, 24:7 Theatre Festival, Slung Low and RashDash. He works extensively with young people interested in creating their own performance, in youth theatre and community settings, and delivers skills-based workshops to participants of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds.

James is currently a Staff Director at The National Theatre.

He trained on the Arts Council MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck, LAMDA, Motley Design School and West Yorkshire Playhouse, where he assisted on five major productions and developed new plays with emerging writers from throughout the region.