James (Jim) Crawford played a significant role in Australian working class theatre, especially in Brisbane. He was born in Manchester and came to Australia as a teenager. During the 1930s, Crawford became a member of the Communist Party of Australia. He traveled the eastern coast of Australia as far north as Cairns, performing in The Roving Red Revue Company, of which he was a founder. By the late 1930s he was a columnist for the Victorian 'Guardian', and in the early 1940s he moved from Melbourne to Brisbane. He became an active member and playright for the Brisbane New Theatre Club. During this period he married Pamela Mary Seeman, who was also involved in theatre. Crawford was a columnist for the Queensland 'Guardian'. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Walter Egan, Mopoke, and John Woolley.