Draft:James E. Kenward

James E. Kenward (born 18 September 1982) is an English poet, film and stage actor, as well as a director and producer. Kenward was one of the cast and writers on BBC Sony Comedy Award-nominated show A Series of Psychotic Episodes, 2007, which Harry Deansway in The Guardian said offered 'A glimpse into the future of British Comedy'. Kenward is known for creating the lead role of Skinner in 'Streets A New Kind of Musical', 2013; Charlie in 'The Lost Choices', 2014, and Drez in 'The Ghoul', 2016, starring Alice Lowe, and Paul Kaye.

Early life and Career
Before performing as a poet and actor, James E. Kenward vocalised Jungle Drum and Bass music. He 'worked his magic in a very different world, featuring as a club MC internationally, performing with the likes of Congo Natty, Nicky Blackmarket and Pav4n from legendary group Foreign Beggars.'

Kenward rehabilitated after, 'A partying life escalated and left him at rock-bottom, living on East London rooftops.' He worked on educational projects and theatre shows reflective of these experiences, in London venues like the Waterloo Vaults Theatre and the Hackney Empire. One such project was 'ZIP', in 2010, which Kenward wrote with Ray Shell whom poet Maya Angelou referred to as a 'powerhouse'. Shell said ZIP was for 'all those young lives who have been needlessly cut short for all sorts of useless reasons'.

In 2010 Kenward also worked as an actor with dramatist Edward Bond on two plays, 'Olly's Prison' and 'The Fool', later speaking at a symposium about Bond's contribution to world theatre held by the English and Comparative Literary Studies department at Warwick University. In 2013 Kenward performed in 'Streets A New Kind of Musical', 'expertly multitasking as drug-pusher Skinner, emcee and rap-poet'. He appeared in The Ghoul which received a BAFTA award nomination for Outstanding British Debut in 2018.

In 2022 and 2023 Kenward acted in Season 1 and 2 of #1 Audible Plus and #1 Audible Original Fiction bestseller 'Impact Winter', written and directed by Travis Beacham, starring Liam Cunningham, Himesh Patel and Holliday Grainger. In 2023 Kenward worked with concert pianist Bota Zakir combining his poetry with classical piano, and putting these arrangements as soundtracks to films he directed. Kenward's 2023 film, Key, features cinematography by Cannes Golden Lion winner Jacob Proud, and stars T.S.Eliot Prize-winning poet Joelle Taylor.