A career as an actor is a dream job for a lot of students. The stardom and glamour of being an actor is something everyone desires. But due to the allure of this profession, there is a lot of competition. Actors struggle to land good roles with good directors and most aspiring artists give up after failing multiple times to go big on the silver screen.
Without a proper foundation and someone to back you up, it’s almost impossible to come up with an acting career now. That is the relevance of theatre schools. They help you improve your skills as an actor while also helping you to develop your contacts and find you more opportunities. London is one of the best cities to pursue an acting course due to the sheer passion the city has for art.
Here are the top 8 acting schools in London.
1. Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young is one of the very few drama schools offering part-time classes. The school is one of the very few schools that give part-time acting classes. Apart from that, they provide holiday courses and full-time courses. The school provides a friendly but disciplined environment for students. Located in central London, the school is home to students from all around the UK and even other countries. The school was established in 1972 with its full introduction to the first course in 1981 and has trained some amazing skills since then. Sylvia Young is at the top with other high schools when it comes to providing a variety of training, both stage and screen, and other performing arts. The school provides a 3-day academic week and 2 days of vocational training. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for students to follow their academic curriculum. Nick Berry and Adam Woodyatt are some of the notable graduates from this prestigious school.
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2. Guildford School of Acting
Rose Bruford, a professional actor and lecturer, founded the school in 1950 under the Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama. They are regarded as a powerful school of quality drama currently offering degrees at the university level of actors accredited by the University of Manchester. Rose Bruford is great and is one of the largest providers of theatre-focused training in Western Europe. The school offers undergraduate, postgraduate and short summer courses also. So students who want to pursue acting as a career can opt for the UG or PG courses while those who wanna take up acting as a hobby can join the short summer program. The campus has various rehearsal rooms, studios and workshops and theatres and even a Bru Bar. The world-class faculty and the flexible hours and amazing curriculum make this one of the best acting schools in London. Notable alumni include Greg Hicks and Roy Williams.
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3. East 15 Acting School
The E15 drama school was founded in 1961 by Margaret Walker. As most of these schools are based on the activities of Mr Stanislavski, his spirit is still there; so keep this in mind in case you are not a fan of the program (the “way” of our US visitors). It is the fifth-largest of our UK theatre schools on the UK list because, since its opening of the doors for the first time, the E15 has been awarded excellent training in both the stage and acting. They also provide additional training such as combat, fencing, etc. Very useful for any character preparing to go there. The college provides rigorous training for those seeking a career in stage, TV, film and radio. As well as practical courses in acting, performance skills and approaches, they also offer behind-the-scenes stage and production skills training. The master’s courses are aimed at graduates with relevant work experience. Allan Ford, Billy Murray are notable former students of this school.
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4. Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Mountview, as it is commonly called, is currently one of the leading schools in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1945 and who’s current president is Dame Judi Dench. The school places great emphasis on professional stage training, but an introduction to related industries exists. There are claims that Mountview also supported their alumnus months even years after graduation. So if that’s something you’re looking for (communication for years to come, why not?), You’ll have to consider applying to Mountview. Make sure you have what you need anyway because Mountview is not easy to get into. Apart from full-time courses, they also offer short summer courses too. The BA Honours for performance acting is the most popular course. The course cultivates technical skills in students through workshops and performances. Students take over 3 -12 week terms per year. The batches are small hence the competition is high. But the top class faculty and the facilities make this one of the best acting schools in the city.
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5. London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts
LAMDA is one of the oldest theatre schools in the world. After being founded in 1861, it produced some fabulous actors. Graduates of the drama school have won 19 BAFTAs, 4 Academy Awards, 16 Golden Globes, 36 Olivier Awards and 12, Tony. Outside of this school looking solid, anyone who can get LAMDA in his resume will get great points in the big training and communications department of showbiz.LAMDA takes in students with raw passion and talent and transforms them into refined artists. The school only trains the best and takes in only a very limited number of students every year. Regular social events, cross-course collaborations, student-led performances and other activities mean LAMDA students and graduates have plenty of opportunities to broaden their skills and knowledge whilst getting to know each other. Apart from acting and directing courses, they also provide production and technical arts courses and also short courses. The BA honours professional acting course costs 9,250 Pounds per year.
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6. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
RADA was founded in 1904 and in addition to being considered one of the best drama schools, it is the most difficult to enter. It is so named for a reason, as it reflects the royal reputation. There are classes that include one teacher and up to three students. It is said that the Beatles were famous because their RADA-trained manager taught them how to be dramatic. If you are able to enter, after graduation you will definitely be on the directors’ radar and broadcast directors as this is one of the most prestigious schools in the country. We offer vocational training for actors, stage managers, designers and technical stagecraft specialists. The school also has partnerships with established companies like Warner Bros. BA(Hons) in acting, BA(Hons) in technical theatre and stage management, MA theatre lab, MA text and performance are some of the most popular courses. The location of the campus in central London is also another plus point. The average tuition fee for an undergraduate course is 9,250 Pounds per year.
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7. Central School of Speech And Drama
CSSD is a prestigious theatre and drama school founded in 1906. Over the years the drama school has produced some very talented actors who have excelled on stage and in film / TV. This is one of the most unique venues for aspiring actors in London who are always present to offer a new kind of theatre training and filmmaking. Central is an international leader in the training of theatre and performance makers. Every year, the school holds open days dedicated to specific subjects and levels of study. They also host auditions and interviews in UK, US, South America, Australia and Singapore. So the students are diverse and from all around the world. Central aims to train and educate its students to high levels of ability, through specialist courses that prepare them to shape the theatre and performance of tomorrow. Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Judi Dench, Peggy Ashcroft are some of the notable alumni of this school.
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8. Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Italia Conti was founded in 1911 and was named after its founder Italia Conti, who was a female actress at the time. This drama school has always provided a modern approach to the training of actors based on the core of traditional skills, meaning a strong emphasis on on-screen performance. Many professionals in this school work in the industry and that means good communication after graduation. Actors leave Italia Conti with not only the knowledge imparted on them from within a world-renowned centre for excellence. They leave as master storytellers, where understanding and expression of a role have become second nature, and character portrayal is a world of endless possibility. The 3-year BA Honors course is the most popular course in the school. Bradley Leech is the course leader and the course is validated by the University of London. Noel Coward and Russel Brand are some of the notable former students of this school.
