Pembrokeshire composer, writer and director James Williams has worked on every Torch Theatre festive show for the past 25 years.

His first show at the Torch in Milford Haven was Christmas Cat and the Pudding Pirates back in 1998 and since then James has been lucky enough to work with several artistic directors and actors along the way.

This Christmas, James, an Associate Director of the Torch, has composed music for the Torch Theatre’s festive pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk as well as Little Red Riding Hood for the Sherman Theatre, written A Christmas Wish for Simply Theatre, Geneva and written and directed Snow White and the Seven Elves for Bluestone Wales.

Having composed for so many festive pantos here in Pembrokeshire, where does James find his inspiration?

“It all starts with the script, and I make sure that the songs are relevant to the actions on stage. I try to imagine what it would be like to be in that world and if I can get the character clear in my head, it all comes easily. It’s the words that are harder I find and it can be quite challenging,” explained James who moved to the Carew area from Cardiff just before lockdown.

“Composing for the Torch Theatre this year has been an absolute joy, with a lot of silliness. The script is just fantastic, and the songs are catchy, full of earworms that will stick in your head. We have some incredible singers, and the music is just banging, challenging, popping and a lot of fun with audience participation where people will feel part of the action. The ‘five a day song’ is definitely one you’ll remember,” chuckled James.