James Inverne:
Writings
Plays, films, articles, books, the odd album note
About
British-born, James Inverne started early as Classical CD Reviewer for the Mail On Sunday (aged 21), after which he became European Performing Arts Correspondent for TIME Magazine, a regular arts writer/commentator for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Sunday Telegraph and CNN, and the Editor of Gramophone Magazine. He was also founding Editor for the Sundance Film Festival Magazine.
The author of five books (most recently for Faber), his first play, A Walk With Mr. Heifetz, had its world premiere Off-Broadway in 2018 (Primary Stages). His most recent play, That Bastard, Puccini! was premiered at the Park Theatre London, in summer 2025, to five-star reviews and a near-sold-out run - with the Sunday Times placing it top of their "Best Shows To See In The UK" feature.
​​
To date, James has written six plays (which have also received developmental workshops or productions from Ambassador Theatre Group, Theatre Ariel and others) and three films, for IMAX Entertainment and others. James wrote the feature-length docu-concert films, "Cities That Sing: Paris" and "Cities That Sing: Venice" starring Renée Fleming, released in IMAX cinemas across the United States in 2022 and 2023, and another television feature for Bryn Terfel for Sky Arts and elsewhere.
​​
Leading performers to have taken part in James's plays include, among others, Steve Guttenberg, Ben Shenkman, Henry Goodman, Julian Ovenden, Scarlett Strallen, Toby Stephens, Sebastian Arcelus, Edward Hibbert, Joe McGann, Ed Stoppard, Ella Dershowitz, Richard Topol and Alan Cox.
After the 2005 London Transport bombings, James co-founded an interfaith non-profit, called Interact, focussed on bringing UK university students of different faiths and cultures together through culture and volunteering.
​
James has recently completed his first novel, The Inspired, published on 23rd March (See below).
NEW! 'The Inspired'
James Inverne's first novel, published on 23rd March 2026
Preorder the ebook now! Or else buy the paperback, available on publication day, 23rd March. Order from Amazon here!
​
When humanity descends into the abyss, can music even mean anything?
Russian piano prodigy Lillya is studying in America, with one dream. To compete in the world’s top piano contest, the International Tchaikovsky Competition, held in Moscow. But first, her distinguished teacher Professor Dayan has a highly unusual assignment. To delve into the past to research a piano superstar of yesteryear — America’s legendary contender for the first-ever Tchaikovsky, the handsome and enigmatic Van Cliburn. She must uncover his amazing journey into enemy territory at the height of the Cold War, to truly understand her own calling. But was Cliburn really everything he seemed? Meanwhile, across the world, Russian missiles are being pointed at Kyiv.
Stretching across nearly seventy years, The Inspired weaves through the riveting, connected stories of these three pianists — Lillya, Professor Dayan and Van Cliburn — as each is forced to confront their deepest-held beliefs, and a world out of harmony.
"James Inverne’s The Inspired is a brilliant achievement: Inverne is a wonderfully compelling writer whose voice is deeply infused with a warm and generous humanity. His story-telling is tellingly informed by an insider status in the classical music world that never loses sight of the universality of human experience. Drawing from history and current world events, The Inspired is truly a work that helps us understand the tumultuous times we are experiencing today. Not to be missed." — Alan Gilbert, conductor (Principal Conductor, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra; Music Director, Royal Swedish Opera; former Music Director, New York Philharmonic Orchestra)
"Meticulously researched, a timely and fascinating story about the complicated relationship between music and politics. The way in which Inverne imaginatively weaves together past and present, fact and fiction, is, itself, inspired."
— Alexandra Wilson, author of Someone Else's Music
"An irresistible, brilliantly written and constructed novel. Inverne writes accessibly, with both brilliance and erudition. His story of the enigmatic genius that was Van Cliburn encapsulates the powerful emotions and sheer joy that music-making at its best can bring, and shows the need for the humanity required to succeed. By way of contrast, Inverne's contemporary parallel demonstrates all too clearly the destructive fallout that inevitably follows the brutal inhumanity we have seen recently. This book will be treasured by music lovers and will appeal to a wide public." — Ivor Bolton, conductor (Chief Conductor, Sinfonieorchester Basel; Music Director, Teatro Real, Madrid)
"The Inspired is both a gripping evocation of pianist Van Cliburn’s legendary exploits in the 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition and a reflection on the place of music in the real world. A brilliantly original and thought-provoking reflection on identity, hate, politics and war." — Stephen Pollard, newspaper columnist; former Editor of The Jewish Chronicle
"A book that explores the hopes and dreams of those who make music, and the pain of those who want music to change our world" — Mona Golabek, author of The Children of Willesden Lane​
Play: That Bastard, Puccini!
‘A challenge, in Italy’s largest newspaper. He’s put both of our reputations on the line!’
​
It’s 1893. Puccini is close to being hailed as Italy’s newest opera king, but needs to write something to cement his reputation. He’s found the perfect subject: the enchanting love story of La Boheme.
There’s only one problem – fellow composer Ruggero Leoncavallo has thought of it too. And worse still, he’s claiming Puccini stole his idea…
Soon it’s a race between two of Italy’s hottest composers: the battle of the Bohemes. The winner will claim a place in the pantheon, the loser a footnote in history. With riches, rivalry and reputation on the line, both will have to face more than they bargained for. But there’s more to life than great art – isn’t there?
​
A hilarious, chaotic and captivating play by James Inverne, That Bastard, Puccini! brings to life an explosive professional rivalry, a plagiarism scandal that rocked Europe, and a friendship tested to the limit. Witness the story behind one of the world’s most famous masterpieces… and as a result, one of the least famous. Both of them titled La Boheme.
​​
That Bastard, Puccini! premiered at the Park Theatre London, in July-August 2025 (directed by Daniel Slater, produced by RJG productions and J.Todd Harris in association with Park Theatre). The original cast comprised Alasdair Buchan, Sebastien Torkia and Lisa-Anne Wood. The highly successful run attracted full houses and excellent reviews:
.jpg)
Poster design by Laura Whitehouse; videography by Ben Hewis Videography
Play: A Walk With Mr Heifetz
"A Walk With Mr Heifetz" is James Inverne's first play. It received its world premiere in 2018 with leading Off Broadway theatre company Primary Stages, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. Directed by Primary Stages's late and much-missed Artistic Director Andrew Leynse, the cast included Yuval Boim, Adam Green, Erik Lochtefeld and Mariella Haubs. Prior to this, it received a special public 'preview' reading at London's Jewish Books Week festival, with a cast including Henry Goodman, Ed Stoppard and Yuval Boim, directed by Benjamine Kamine. The play tells the remarkable story of an encounter between composer and kibbutz pioneer Yehuda Sharett and the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz, and its effects on Yehuda and his brother, Israeli founding father Moshe Sharett (for enquiries please contact Broadway Licensing Inc. or see here).
See several short film clips of the New York production here.
AUDIO RECORDING: An audio recording of A Walk With Mr Heifetz was produced, socially distanced (across four countries!), during the COVID-19 lockdown. The recording was created to support two worthy charities, the AICF and Meir Panim. It stars Yuval Boim, Ed Stoppard, Richard Topol and Mariella Haubs, and was audio-produced by Tim Burton. Read coverage from The Times Of Israel, Playbill and Broadway World. Listen to the recording here.
Credit: Pics of the Primary Stages production by James Leynse
​
​
Play: The Song
Released as an audio production in June 2023 by Philadelphia-based Theatre Ariel, "The Song" was James Inverne's creative response to the social unrest then riling Israel (due to the government's proposed judicial overhaul). 'The Song' is a short play (20 minutes) that looks back at a little-known yet amazing true story from Israeli history - from a time when, like now, everything had suddenly seemed worse than anyone had imagined, and yet a very few years later, even more surprising, an event occurred that was better than anyone could have possibly dreamed. Funny, moving and musical, as three colleagues search for a mysterious and elusive melody, deep trauma, and an incredible political reality, are gradually revealed.​​
Film series: Cities That Sing, starring Renée Fleming (IMAX Entertainment)
James is scriptwriter for "Renée Fleming's Cities That Sing" produced by IMAX Entertainment and Stage Access. The first film, "Cities That Sing: Paris" was released in IMAX cinemas in the US in 2022. The release of the second film in the series, "Cities That Sing: Venice" followed in September 16th 2023, alongside a re-release for its predecessor.
​​
"James Inverne's script takes us through an affectionate and sometimes riotous celebration" - Broadway World
​​
Newspapers, journals and websites
As well as having been the Editor of Gramophone, James has regularly written for many of our finest websites and periodicals, among them Time Magazine (where he was European Performing Arts Correspondent), the Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Telegraph, Mail On Sunday, The Times, Financial Times, UK Metro, Playbill Online and The Times Of Israel. He has also been Founding Editor of customer publications such as the award-winning "Inside Sundance Institute: A Magazine for the Sundance Film Festival", and the Carnegie Hall magazine.
Contact
To contact James directly, please email james.inverne@gmail.com.
James is represented for books and plays by Neil Blair, at The Blair Partnership,
Tel: +44 207 504 2520.