James Laver: Finding His Stage, and a Home, in Bangkok

From Cambridge mathematics to acting, magic and running his own baking business, British performer James Laver reflects on nearly 20 years in Thailand, the challenges of Bangkok’s theater scene and his next creative chapter

For British actor, magician, voice artist and baker James Laver, moving to Bangkok was never part of a carefully mapped-out career plan. He arrived in 2007 because of a relationship, thinking that a year abroad might be an interesting detour before returning to life in the UK.

Almost two decades later, Bangkok has become home. More unexpectedly, it is also where he finally became a professional performer.

“I think Bangkok changed me as a performer in that I am one now. I couldn’t pursue a career as a performer while I was in London, so living here gave me that opportunity.”

James has followed an unconventional path, from studying mathematics and philosophy at Cambridge to training at the Oxford School of Drama, working in London's casinos and magic shops, and eventually building a creative career in Thailand.

Today, his interests extend beyond acting and magic to baking through his own business, Scoffle. But theater remains a central part of his identity, even as he acknowledges the difficulties of making a living from performing in Bangkok.

Now, with the city's theater community finding its feet again after the pandemic, James is preparing to take another step: creating his own productions rather than waiting for opportunities to appear.

From Cambridge Mathematics to the Stage

Acting was not James's original career ambition. At school, he excelled in mathematics and science, subjects that came naturally to him. It was only at Cambridge, where he studied mathematics and philosophy, that he began to consider another direction.

“I’ve always been drawn to performing but didn’t realise it for a long time. At school I was very good at maths and science, but there wasn't really the option to pursue both science and arts subjects, so I never really considered acting until later.”

University proved more difficult than expected. Mathematics, once intuitive, suddenly became a struggle, leaving him unhappy and searching for something that could provide an escape. He found it through the University Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society.

“I started acting as an escape,” he recalls. What began as a distraction eventually became the most rewarding part of his university experience.

“After I graduated (by the skin of my teeth), I really wasn't sure what to do next. I talked to friends about it, and that’s when the idea of acting came up. Until then it had just been something I'd done for fun.”

With encouragement from his parents, he auditioned for drama schools and secured a place on the three-year course at the Oxford School of Drama. Yet completing his training did not lead directly to a professional acting career.

Living in London after six years as a student, James needed to earn money. His first job was dealing roulette, poker and blackjack in a casino. He later worked at Davenports magic shop and London's Science Museum, demonstrating magic tricks and presenting science shows.

He had practiced magic since the age of eight, so handling cards and entertaining people were familiar territory. But those jobs also shaped his understanding of performance.

“A casino is a great source of character study,” he says.

At the casino, customers were more interested in the game than the dealer. At the magic shop, they wanted to know whether a trick was worth buying. At the museum, the scientific principles were the stars of the show.

“I think that helped in inform my idea that the most important thing in acting is the story. The most valuable question you can ask as an actor is ‘How does this serve the story?’”

That belief continues to inform his work across different creative disciplines.

“Having trained as an actor is a huge help, and quite rare, as a magician. But I've come to the conclusion that magic and acting are the same thing. Magicians just have more complicated props and blocking.”

A Relationship That Changed Everything

By 2007, James had spent five years in London and was ready for a change. He was looking for a new job and somewhere new to live when he met someone based in Bangkok.

Moving to Thailand seemed less like a dramatic leap than a practical opportunity.

“The short answer is a relationship. Which sounds very romantic, but it seemed like a very practical decision at the time. I'd been living in London for five years, which if I'm honest was a year too much.”

He reasoned that even if the relationship did not work out, he would have spent a year experiencing another country and culture.

“There really was nothing to lose. As it turned out that relationship lasted for 13 years, by which point Bangkok felt more like home than anywhere else.”

James remembers settling into Bangkok surprisingly quickly, although the weather took some adjustment. His earliest culture shock came from something most residents now take for granted: eating at a neighborhood shophouse.

“I remember going for my first meal and a shophouse on my soi. You know, a concrete box with peeling paint and folding tables and chairs. The idea that that was supposed to be a restaurant was completely bizarre, and a bit scary.”

Over time, those unfamiliar surroundings became part of everyday life. During his first years in Thailand, James worked at a chain of English-language schools. When students asked what he liked most about the country, he rarely gave the answers they expected.

"They're used to the usual answers, the food, the people, the weather, the islands, but I would always tell them that the thing I liked the most about living here is that it's always felt safe. And that's huge.”

The sense of security and familiarity helped Bangkok become somewhere he wanted to stay rather than simply a place to spend a few years.

He has since married, further strengthening his connection to Thailand.

“At the beginning of next year I'll have lived here for 20 years. Now I've lived in Bangkok longer than I've lived anywhere. Also I got married a couple of years ago, And if Thailand didn't already feel like home it certainly does now.”

Finding a Creative Life Beyond the Stage

James's professional life has never fitted neatly into one category. Alongside acting, voice work and magic, he is also a baker and entrepreneur, running Scoffle Me, his own Bangkok business specializing in traditional English scones and clotted cream.

The business brings a little of his British background into his adopted home. Scoffle Me makes its scones by hand in small batches and offers delivery around Bangkok, as well as appearances at local markets.

Making a Living as a Performer in Bangkok

Although James trained at the Oxford School of Drama, his professional acting career began in Thailand.

That opportunity came with challenges. Bangkok has a smaller pool of roles for foreign actors, particularly in theater, and the industry's structure differs considerably from what he knew in the UK.

“Well the simple answer is that there are far fewer roles for foreign actors here. Especially when it comes to theatre. As far as I know, there are no professional English language theatre companies in Bangkok at the moment.”

Funding is another obstacle. James believes Bangkok's relatively limited theater-going audience makes it difficult for productions to recover their costs.

The casting industry also operates differently from the UK, where actors commonly work with agents who promote them, recommend them for suitable roles and negotiate contracts.

“There's no real sole representation for actors here like you might find in the UK or the US. So you don't have an agent who knows you, helps to promote you, puts you forward for suitable work, and navigates a contract when you book something.”

Nevertheless, the smaller industry has occasionally worked in his favor. “Because the talent pool here is so small compared to say London, I've had parts in plays that I would have only dreamed of if I lived elsewhere.”

Bangkok's Theater Scene: Creativity Against the Odds

Before the pandemic, James was actively involved with Peel the Limelight, which he describes as having been, for a period, Bangkok's only professional English-language theater company.

At the time, he felt the city's theater audience was gradually growing, with several companies beginning to establish themselves.

COVID-19 interrupted that momentum. Productions stopped, venues closed and some theater groups never returned.

“The pandemic came at a really unfortunate time for theatre. Beforehand it felt like the audience was gradually growing. A number of theatre companies were really starting to find their feet. The pandemic set all that back, and it took several years before things started to recover, and even then some companies and spaces closed for good.”

Yet James remains impressed by the resourcefulness of local theater makers.

“I've always been impressed by how much theatre makers here create from so little. What would be considered a shoestring budget in the West would be a luxury here.”

He believes the industry needs more than occasional funding to develop. Building a sustainable theater scene requires productions that attract audiences consistently, allowing companies to reinvest in better work and gradually expand their reach.

“More funding would be lovely, but I wouldn't hold my breath, and a theatre company is going to be far more stable if it's self-reliant, than if it's dependent on external funding that may not always be there.”

He also sees reasons for optimism. Although he acknowledges having been less involved in the theater community over the past couple of years, he has noticed signs of a new generation of performers and producers emerging after the pandemic. Strong interest in the 2026 Bangkok Theatre Festival is one encouraging indication.

“I think it's a very interesting time for theatre in Bangkok.”

Taking Matters Into His Own Hands

Rather than waiting for Bangkok's theater industry to create more opportunities, James is now exploring how to make his own.

His immediate plan is to bring a small-scale production to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) as part of the 2026 Bangkok Theatre Festival.

The decision comes after several years of considering how independent theater might work in a city where product on costs can quickly outweigh potential ticket revenue.

“It's difficult to stage theatre in Bangkok, and I've given a lot of thought to how it might be possible to produce theatre in a sustainable way over the last couple of years. Minimising as many costs as possible is an important starting point.”

Smaller productions, particularly one-person shows, offer a possible solution.

His thinking is influenced by ikigai, the Japanese concept often associated with finding purpose through the intersection of what one enjoys, what one does well, what others need and what can provide a living.

“As for what's next, I feel finally ready to create my own work. And it's time to."

"I really like the idea of ikigai. You have to find what's at the centre of the Venn diagram, what am I good at, what do I love doing, what does the audience need, and what will allow me to make a living.”

James has several ideas in development and hopes the festival will provide a starting point for work that can continue beyond a single performance.

“It’s taken a long time, but I feel like I'm getting closer to finding the answer.”

Almost 20 Years Later, Still Learning Bangkok

Away from the stage, James's relationship with Bangkok has become comfortably ordinary, complete with habits he could hardly have imagined before moving here.

He now considers motorcycle taxis a normal part of getting around. He eats squid, something that would surprise his younger British self, although he has never abandoned cereal for breakfast.

Some aspects of Thai life remain more challenging. Despite nearly two decades in Bangkok, he admits his Thai language skills are not where he would like them to be.

“I can get by, but my Thai is nowhere near as good as it should be after 20 years here. I get caught out a lot because my pronunciation is good, so people hear the little Thai I can speak, assume that I'm fluent, and jump into full conversation mode.”

And what is the surest sign that he has lived in Bangkok for too long? “A monitor lizard walking through your garden no longer raises an eyebrow.”

There is humor in these observations, but they also reveal something about how thoroughly Bangkok has become part of his life. The once-unfamiliar has become routine.

Looking back, James has few regrets about his decision to relocate. If anything, he wishes he had discovered Bangkok's theater community sooner.

Now, approaching his 20th anniversary in Thailand, he is entering a new creative chapter, one that may bring together his experience in acting, magic, storytelling and the practical realities of producing independent theater.

His journey from Cambridge mathematics to Bangkok's stage has been anything but straightforward. Yet the city he originally came to for a relationship has given him something he struggled to find in London: the chance to build a life around performing.

And with his own productions finally taking shape, the next act may be the most personal yet.

For more about James and his work, visit www.jameslaver.net. His baking business is at www.scoffle.me

[PHOTO: Courtesy of James Laver]