James Bachman

James Bachman’s Route from Cambridge Footlights to British Comedy

The comedy path for James Bachman began at Cambridge University, where he studied Natural Sciences and joined the famous Footlights society. Shortly after graduating, he formed a sketch double-act with fellow Cambridge comedian Matthew Holness, debuting their first show Rummage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1996. That early Edinburgh period introduced Bachman to David Mitchell and Robert Webb, launching collaborations that would define a significant stretch of his career.

That Mitchell and Webb Look and the Numberwang Legacy

Writing partnerships are rarely as productive as the one Bachman formed with Mark Evans, who co-created material for a remarkable range of British sketch and entertainment shows. On That Mitchell and Webb Look, the BAFTA Award-winning BBC Two series that ran from 2006 to 2010, Bachman and Evans co-wrote some of the programme’s most enduring sketches – including Numberwang, a parody of daytime game shows that became a fan favourite. Bachman also appeared on screen in recurring roles across the series, earning him recognition beyond the writing room.

Bleak Expectations and Sorry, I’ve Got No Head

BBC Radio 4’s Bleak Expectations, a parody of Charles Dickens novels, ran from 2007 to 2012 and starred Bachman as the bumbling Victorian Harry Biscuit. The series earned a Sony Award nomination and later expanded into stage adaptations. For a younger audience, Bachman headlined three series of Sorry, I’ve Got No Head on CBBC, a children’s sketch show that ran from 2008 to 2011. He also voiced Hugh Bainbridge in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio production Situation Vacant in 2010.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and the Stede Bonnet Role

Bachman’s sole confirmed video game credit is a memorable one. In Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013), he voiced Stede Bonnet, a hapless historical pirate who becomes an unlikely companion to protagonist Edward Kenway. The character – naive, bumbling, and oddly endearing amid the Caribbean swashbuckling – suited Bachman’s skill for playing well-intentioned fools. The role put his voice work in front of a global games audience that dwarfed most of his television exposure.