The unwritten rule: actors must always stay in training. Here, we have compiled a big list of acting classes London for you to choose from. Training is very important for both, to become a better performance artist and to enhance your resume, so don’t dilate — choose one of these acting classes and apply!
I personally have researched and gone through all acting schools, acting workshops and acting classes London that I could possibly find. I have trained and attended quite a few of these myself. Most of them are pretty good and solid, but acting training can be subjective.
Sometimes a student will click with the teacher from the very beginning, other times it will take a few weeks of working together. In seldom cases, it just won’t work no matter what you do. It’s all about the chemistry, and we talked a lot on this in How to Choose a Perfect Acting Teacher article.
Be warned: after you have skimped through the list and found something you like, go and what does the class look like from up close. Pay attention to how good the teacher is, and notice the kind of students that are training there. Talk to the acting coach and, if possible, to students as well (hit them up on Facebook, if it’s easier).
In this acting classes London list, I have excluded all acting schools that only accept students under 18 years old, or that only has long-term (1 or 2 year) courses of just one variety. Those are closer to drama schools and traditional acting programs, and lists for those you can find on this website.
Acting Classes London: The Big List
City Academy
The first one on our acting classes London list is City Academy. It is the London based performing and creative arts academy specialising in singing, acting, dancing, musical theatre, comedy, filmmaking, screen, writing, life skills classes and fitness dance classes for people from all walks of life. We have been featured on the BBC and Channel 4 and in The Times, The Telegraph, Evening Standard and Time Out. Whether you are looking to learn a new performance or production skill, to build confidence or simply have fun and feel fully alive, City Academy will have the course for you – and you won’t have to skip work to attend as City Academy’s courses are designed to fit around your life.
Website: http://www.city-academy.com
Actors Studio
Even though not the famous The Actors Studio from New York City, based at the heart of the British Film Industry, Actors’ Studio was formed in 2004 at Pinewood Studios by former Acting Agent Tim Kent. Actors’ Studio offers training and networking courses/workshops for aspiring and professional actors at locations in Pinewood and also Central London. There is a children’s department based at Pinewood Studios.
Website: http://www.actorsstudio.co.uk
The Actors Centre
The Actors Centre was created by actors, for actors. For over 30 years we have provided ongoing training of the highest quality, giving actors the opportunity to enhance every aspect of their craft. We are unique in Europe: a place dedicated to developing professional actors by giving them the tools to develop themselves as artists and as business people in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry.
Website: http://www.actorscentre.co.uk/
The Poor School
We like the name of it, The Poor School, so we’re very glad to include it in this list of acting classes London. Over 25 years of graduates have gone on to enjoy successful careers in theatre, film, comedy and radio. Some ex-students have founded their own companies, others have become producers, directors, casting directors and agents. Entrance is by audition or via a short course. And considering the name, the fees shouldn’t be too high up there.
Website: http://www.thepoorschool.com/
Juice Collective
You see, we at Juice are a tad over-passionate about the fact that as an actor you’re never “done”; never done experimenting, never done taking a risk, never done meeting even more actors than you already know. There’s always more to learn, refine and improve on. We’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for years, so we went away and came up with what we think is a pretty exciting and diverse timetable of events.
Website: http://www.juicecollective.com/
The London Actors Workshop
Now in its eighth year, the London Actors Workshop offers a variety of in depth acting workshops in the heart of the West End. Book now for the special summer edition of their intensive Acting for Film & TV course. Over ten consecutive Sundays you will work with six leading industry tutors covering TV/Film Acting, Commercials, Acting in British Drama, Method, Script Analysis, Audition Technique, Screen Combat and much more.
Website: http://londonactorsworkshop.co.uk
City Acting
Another one on the list of acting classes London is City Acting that offers drama classes and acting workshops for all levels in London. Our acting classes range from fun introductions in acting for everyone to intensive part-time courses.The drama courses are designed to improve your communication, confidence and public speaking skills, or widen the range of your actor’s instrument – body, voice, imagination and concentration. Always taught in a relaxed and informal manner, our acting classes create the opportunity to make friends and learn new skills.
Website: http://www.cityacting.co.uk/
The London Academy of Music and Drama Art
Not the first time on our lists is LAMDA, an independent drama school, dedicated to the vocational training of actors, stage managers and technicians, directors and designers in the skills and levels of creativity necessary to meet the highest demands and best opportunities in theatre, film, radio and TV. They offer some great short courses in addition to their BAs and MAs.
Website: http://www.lamda.org.uk
City Lit
Our part-time drama, dance and speech programme offers a vibrant, vigorous, creative choice of courses that reaches out to all adults whatever their background, age and aspiration – from acting and comedy to technical production and much more. Many of our drama tutors are professional practitioners. In addition to our accredited courses and varied programme for all levels we also run the City Lit Rep Company to help actors build their professional portfolio. Many of our part-time drama courses fill very quickly, so please book early!
Website: http://www.citylit.ac.uk
Act Up
All of the acting courses are short, part-time and professionally based. Some are just for fun, a fantastic opportunity to challenge yourself creatively and to meet and act with like minded people. And some are aimed at people with a bit of previous experience that are now considering seeking a career as a professional actor, and some are workshop based and are just for professional actors. The series of act for courses form some of the main body of our work and have enabled many people to enter drama school over the years.
Website: http://www.act-up.co.uk
Method Acting Classes
Established in 2002, this leading & unique studio environment provides you with the consistent and real means to engage, unlock, and invest in your own specific methodology. All acting has one whether it’s born out of habit, sound intuition, or real technique. But just like the elite athlete in the 21st-century, the profession of the actor requires you to have a professional & vibrant approach. Therefore we provide an intensive evolutionary environment (monthly or throughout the year) that challenges & nurtures the actor to unlock and grow their creative core. Whether it supplements the history of the actor’s training or enables a younger actor to bring real form to their aspirations.
Website: http://actingclasseslondon.co.uk/
London School of Dramatic Art
The founding principles of the London School of Dramatic Art continue to remain the essence of what makes this school a unique and refreshing place to train. At the LSDA we encourage team spirit by getting our students to work as an ensemble with directors and crew. The acting profession is often a collaborative endeavour and part of the training is to prepare students for the demands of working in the theatre and film as a member of the cast.
Website: http://lsda-acting.com
The Actors’ Temple
In less than a decade, The Actors’ Temple has formed an ‘enviable reputation as a place where students are free to be themselves’ (The Stage, June 2011). The studio theatre on Warren Street offers not only exceptional training based on the principles of Sanford Meisner, but also the opportunity to become part of an ever-growing community of talented actors producing work of the highest calibre. From the back studio of a London gym, a living room and numerous venues across London we finally acquired our own studio on Warren Street in 2006. This enabled us to establish our actor training program and further develop and deepen our understanding of an actor’s work through teaching.
Website: http://www.actorstemple.com
The Cockpit
The Cockpit in Marylebone, London is a purpose built fringe venue promoting innovative and radical new theatre. Its regular classes & workshops, comfortable bar and friendly team enable this creative hub to support performers, the industry, diverse audiences and the local community alike.
Website: http://thecockpit.org.uk/
The Professional Connection
The Professional Connection is a unique company that offers both workshops for professional actors and drama students. We believe that learning from someone who is already out there in the industry can give people studying for GCSE’s A – Levels or degree the chance to see what it is really like to pursue a career in the performing arts. Our practitioners work freelance for regional and London theatres, established theatre companies at drama schools, as well as for educational institutions. Their varied professional work can give fresh insight to young people. We work with actors, directors, movement directors, fight directors and combat specialists.
Website: http://www.theprofessionalconnection.org.uk (flash)
Giles Foreman Centre for Acting
The Giles Foreman Centre for Acting (formerly the Caravanserai Acting Studio, based in Ladbroke Grove) is an exciting professional acting studio in the heart of London, housing some of the top coaches in the country in the disciplines of acting, movement, voice, improvisation and camera technique. It offers the opportunity for professional actors to develop their skills through regular acting classes and workshops with top practitioners from all over the world – and to create projects in both film and theatre. Due to its location in Soho, the heart of the UK film, TV and theatre industry it also offers many opportunities to meet casting directors, directors and producers through our industry events – showcases and casting Industry evenings. Actors are also able to use the studio facilities and coaches to prepare for auditions, and to develop their characters for film projects that they have already secured.
Website: http://www.gilesforeman.com
MET Film School
Met Film School is an exciting place to be, especially since we’re in the heart of a world-renowned, active film studio. We’re not just a school. We’re part of the Met Film group consisting of the school, Met Film Production and Met Film Post. Unlike any other film school we are completely integrated within the film industry. Met Film Production develops and produces a number of feature films each year and Met Film Post is a leading post-production business, specialising in end-to-end sound and picture post.
Website: http://www.metfilmschool.co.uk
Brian Timoney Actor’s Studio
Another one on the list of acting classes London is the school you’ve probably seen ads of all over the internet — Brian Timoney is one of the world’s leading method acting coaches. Brian has worked in the industry for over 20 years and in every major acting medium conceivable, including TV, Film, Radio and Theatre. He has worked as an actor, director, producer and acting coach and has first-hand experience of every part of the industry, and how to create stand-out performances..
Website: http://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk
Drama Studio London
At Drama Studio London our aim is to fully prepare you for the world of acting. We do this by ensuring that our training is by the profession for the profession. In this way we will teach how to be an actor and not just how to act. We run a 1 year acting course, accredited by Drama UK, as well as a 2 year course and an introductory 4 week acting summer school.
Website: http://www.dramastudiolondon.co.uk
Alice Acting Company
Alice Acting is a London based acting company founded in 2011. Alice Acting company holds acting classes for all acting levels. It provides intensive training that readies actors for the acting industry. We improve your acting skills with our unique training programme. We provide short courses that allow the actor to enhance their skills and we provide an actors showcase with a supportive audience. Alice Acting honour all the elements in the arts spectrum. We provide writers competitions, actors workshops and after school workshops for children. We take pride in our literature diversity and we encourage artists to showcase their work.
Website: http://www.aliceacting.com/
Richmond Drama School
An Acting Course is always demanding, requiring work away from formal contact hours, self –discipline and good time management (absenteeism is unhelpful in what is essentially a collaborative activity). Part time work must not interfere with the School’s programme and time off for interviews, auditions etc must be agreed in advance.
Website: http://www.richmonddramaschool.com
International School of Screen Acting
The International School of Screen Acting is the leading specialist screen acting school in the UK. This unique drama school offers One and Two year full-time TV and Film acting courses, as well as part time courses. ISSA is moving to new premises in the heart of the famous 3 Mills Studios.
Website: http://www.screenacting.co.uk/
Central School of Speech and Drama
Again on our list of acting classes London is CSSD. With over 55 academic staff, together with visiting artists and lecturers, Central contains the largest grouping of drama/theatre/performance specialists in the UK, who make a major contribution to research in their various disciplines. Its special strength, unique in the sector, lies in a combination of first-rate practical training and production, with a highly ranked programme of research – research aimed at the cutting edge of new performance practice.
Website: http://www.cssd.ac.uk
University of the Arts London
An art college and cultural centre in one, Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design is internationally renowned for the creative energy of its students, staff and graduates. We have an outstanding reputation for educating short course, foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. Fundamental to study at the College are experimentation, innovation, risk-taking, questioning and discovery, within a highly supportive learning environment, no matter which discipline you choose to study.
Website: http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk
The Bridge
The bridge from acting classes London is a non-profit making company providing training of the highest quality from actors, directors, performers, musicians and choreographers working at the top of the industry. Because we are an educational charity many services are donated to The Bridge, so you pay less for your training. Once you graduate we will continue to work with you, providing everything from advice on contracts to industry contacts, and from help preparing for auditions to opportunities to work with us in a professional context.
Website: http://www.thebridge-ttc.org
London Academy of Media Film and TV
Acting classes within our acting school offer a wide range of acting courses to help aspiring actors gain confidence during their acting workshops at our screenacting institute. Start acting by taking our acting lessons. The London Academy School of Acting offers screenacting training in many departments, including: acting for film as well as acting for TV. Gain experience in front of the camera in a real life situation with makeup artists, directors as well as camera and lighting professionals. Acting for the camera and being in the moment can teach you how to become a good actor for film & television acting. Acting foundation courses as well as acting master-classes are available. Get a new acting showreel to show agents and producers.
Website: http://www.media-courses.com
Arts Educational Schools London
Arts Educational Schools London have their origin in schools founded in 1919 by Grace Cone and in 1922 by Olive Ripman. The Cone and Ripman schools were pioneers in providing suitably talented children with a general academic education in conjunction with specialised training in dance, drama, music and art, preparing young men and women for professional careers in or connected with the theatre. In 1939 the two schools amalgamated to become the Cone Ripman School.
Website: http://www.artsed.co.uk
The Comedy School
For those looking to get into comedy and TV sitcoms, acting classes London has The Comedy School. Founded in 1998 by Keith Palmer, Director, The Comedy School aims to raise the profile of the many uses of comedy, from stimulating personal creativity to encouraging social skills and improving literacy. We achieve this through our innovative workshop, performance and arts projects. These are varied and inclusive, catering for those who wish to be comedians, to work in the arts and the entertainment industries, or to improve their communication skills and confidence.
Website: http://thecomedyschool.com
Acting Classes London — Conclusion
Our acting classes London list came to an end. The city of London has a lot of places that will always keep you on your toes and studying. Some of them are more expensive, others are pretty cheap — pick the one you can afford, obviously, and also try to use all of our advice on this website on how to find an acting class and a perfect acting teacher.
Keep in mind that the list of acting classes London contains only the schools available for adults. We have also left out drama schools or any other performing arts schools, accredited or not, that only offer either BA’s and MA’s degrees, or very long-term courses that are much closer to a degree level, and the lists for those you can find by following the links below:
– Acting Universities UK
– Drama Clubs in London
– Drama Universities in London
– Best Acting Schools in the UK
If you have spotted a mistake or you believe the list of acting classes London needs to be updated, please do not hesitate to drop us a message in the comments or using our contacts form. Let’s make this list perfect and always up-to-date together.
Training is one of the most important factors for success if you are pursuing career of an actor. If you’re not part of any project, if you’re not doing a film or a play, you must be in at least one of the acting classes London working on your skills for the benefit of your future as an actor.