I’m often asked which drama school gives best lessons. I have seen showcase productions and auditions in all the schools listed below, and I cannot say because teachers change, and ‘lessons’ depend on what the other students are like at the lessons!
Obviously the reputations of Julliard in New York, and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, impress agents, but talent can grow anywhere. Caring teachers may give brilliant lessons in small classes in small towns anywhere in the world.
Many drama courses have websites showing their lessons online, and if you spend hours comparing the lessons you may see that some are only there for teachers to show off. But what matters is that actor work hard – whatever lessons they attend – and to make sure the school has a serious film, or music, or theatre department, or whatever kind you want: and to be the best that you can there.
And don’t pay attention to the lists of stars which many drama-schools boast as ‘past students’ – because any drama-course which has had 500 students in ten years – even a school which is rubbish – will have a few stars who survived the bad lessons!
I encourage people to audition for as many drama-courses as they can, and then just to choose between the ones that offer a place.
For those who want my ‘list’ – the following schools have had some good years recently! –
In the UK
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
LAMDA
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Rose Bruford
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
In the USA
Juilliard School
AMDA
Los Angeles Film School
New York Film Academy
But I have helped people get into some of these only to find that after six months they are unhappy and want to switch to another! If you don’t like a school when you’re there, if you feel you don’t ‘get’ the lessons, then tell them, talk to them. Work hard wherever you are, whatever school you get into!
