James Bonas
© Mihaela Bodlovic
disrupting the form
‘Director James Bonas infuses the work with strong communicative energy and great fluidity in the crowd scenes, thanks to quasi-primitive dances and fully-rounded character portrayals’
Ôlyrix, Archipel(s), Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique
James Bonas is a traditional storyteller for the modern era, combining imagination and intellect with a curiosity for technology and new forms, whether directing classical or contemporary theatre, opera, or dance.
Recent opera productions include Sondheim’s Company for Génération Opera, the world premiere of Isabelle Albouker’s L’Archipel’s for L’Opéra Comique, Bernstein’s Candide for Welsh National Opera, Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos for Theater Magdeburg, and – with regulator collaborator, animator Grégoire Pont – the French premiere of Abrahamsen’s Snow Queen for Opéra national du Rhin. Projects for 2025-26 include new productions of Die Zauberflöte at Göteborg Opera, Massenet’s Manon at Theater Magdeburg, and a revival of Candide at WNO, as well as further performances of Company throughout France.
Bonas also works in dance and enjoys an ongoing collaboration with choreographers such as Helen Pickett and Sophie Laplane. Recent projects with Pickett include Lady Macbeth for Dutch National Ballet, Crime and Punishment for American Ballet Theater, Emma Bovary for Canadian National Ballet and The Crucible for Scottish National Ballet - an award-winning narrative ballet that premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival 2019. With Laplane he created Mary, Queen of Scots for Scottish Ballet at the 2025 International Edinburgh Festival and the celebrated short film Dive.
At the BBC Proms Bonas has staged Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat and The Rite of Spring, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique with Aurora, and Glass Handel in collaboration with Anthony Roth-Constanzo.
‘We need to disrupt the form. I’m interested in celebrating what we do in theatre and music through different media, rather than just reframing old ways or simply filming the stage’
