One Year Acting Course

Our four-term, one-year course trains actors to leave Drama Studio London confident and comfortable in the skills that an actor must have today to secure quality and regular acting work. Along with modern training, we also thoroughly immerse the student in the traditional skills of classical language, with particular reference to voice.

The training is vocational and practical. You will do a lot of research, make presentations and keep your own notes, but you will not be asked to write essays.

Acting Course Structure

Preparatory Term

During this time you will begin to understand the nature and the language of actor training. The effect is to gain confidence, losing any nervousness about acting and about yourself as an actor.

Basic skills are taught in technical classes of movement, voice and speech and a whole series of acting classes, without performance or rehearsal pressures.

Autumn Term

You undertake some first performances of scene studies. Modern non-comedic scenes are chosen, and the production is low-key so that the focus is purely on the acting.

The term ends with ten days of full-time rehearsal for a traditional English Pantomime, which is then taken on tour by bus to schools in and around Ealing.

Spring Term

The classical term starts off with a Chekhov and Ibsen text block, followed by a two-day Shakespeare Workshop.

With your growing understanding of Shakespeare, you progress to a Shakespeare serious text block, followed by a Shakespeare comedy text block, with full performance production values.

Summer Term

This term you begin with a Restoration play. A familiarity with the texts will be needed when you work in this genre during your career. If you can master this in your training, you will feel easier when you audition for more contemporary parts.

Restoration will be followed by a Director's Choice. This will be a play specifically chosen to suit your strengths as an actor.

The training culminates in fully staged graduation productions at the Grange Court Theatre, to which members of the profession are invited.

Film and TV

Core acting classes for screen and TV stretch throughout the year. You work with current professional TV directors on all styles of screen acting. You also have training in commercials and TV interviews, with sight reading on camera.

Preparing for work

Industry-oriented classes are added as the year goes on. These instruct you in auditioning skills, letter writing, CVs and photographs, culminating in a Work Week where the students are seen by agents, casting directors, TV directors, professional employers and others.

Graduate showcase

The graduates showcase takes place in the Summer term, with a performance in a West End theatre. Agents, casting directors and other industry professionals are invited to attend. They will then be able to follow your progress through your final performances in the Director's Choice and Graduation plays at the Grange Court Theatre if they wish.