James Paterson made his London debut in the original cast of The Phantom of the Opera in 1986, playing two small roles. Within six months he was playing the title role when Michael Crawford was taken ill. He ultimately played M Andre for eighteen months and left the show in 1990 having given over 100 performances as the Phantom. He temporarily returned to the show in 1993 which led to his appointment as Resident Director in 1995 for the national tours and the London production. After leaving his post as Resident Director for Phantom, James designed and directed two productions: West Side Story for the Musical Theatre Course at the Dance School of Scotland; and Carmen for Opera on a Shoestring at the Glasgow West End Festival. He played Old Deuteronomy in the UK and international tour of Cats and most recently played the Captain and was resident Director on the national tour of Anything Goes. Other productions as Designer/Director include La bohème and Singin’ in the Rain for the Isle of Wight Theatres, Once on This Island and Hot Mikado for the Dance School of Scotland, and Porgy and Bess for the NODA Summer School. He left Scotland in 1985 to sing Leporello in Don Giovanni for Opera’ 80, having sung for ten years with Scottish Opera where he played and understudied many roles including Papageno, Beckmesser, Demetrius, Starveling, The Count (Capriccio), Ping, Benoit & Alcindoro, Cascada, Motel and Zoltan Karparthy. He is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art with a BA in Textile Design and has designed eleven operas for the Perth Festival of the Arts. He has entertained on three Cunard Ships including the QE2 world cruise 1993 and has made appearances in London’s Burning, Close to Home, and Birds of a Feather. Designed and directed a Celebrity Concert Performance of Follies with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall; designed Fat Boy for Dance School of Scotland and Hope Springs for Newbury Youth Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe. Directed Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up at GSA Conservatoire.