Best Acting Schools in the UK

Candidates from around the world will find that the best place to study theatre arts and acting is the UK with age-old institutions and academies lighting the path for contemporary advancements in the field. These are the very institutions that offer better reach for candidates and provide them with opportunities of working with exemplary directors and writers within the field. Most candidates who can maintain their performance through their academic life at such institutions will be awarded chances of working with the best people in the industry and thereby creating a name for themselves.

Most of the best acting schools are located in London but a few of them are also spread across the UK. Candidates will have to ensure that they seek out the perfect place that suits their achievement goals in the field since every institution will have its own approach to teaching the subject. The most popular program that is also toughest to get into at every institution is the BA Honors in Acting which can either be for contemporary or classical streaks. Candidates will have to sign up for auditions and interviews after they have been accepted through the paper application process.

Benefits of Studying Acting/Theater in the UK

The UK is considered to be one of the best locations to study acting and theatre arts owing to the different opportunities that await candidates from this field. According to their talent and caliber, candidates will be able to get into the theatre scene or the film industry as per their interest as long as they are willing to strive for it.

• Around 114 institutions in the UK offer programs in performing arts that either focus on acting or on areas that complement the field of acting. Candidates will be able to find programs that suit their interests easily if they are to study in the UK.
• Since most of the acting schools are located in London, candidates will be able to be a part of the best platform that actors can receive. Due to the n number of opportunities available in London, one will easily be able to climb up the ladder with the right caliber and effort.
• The acting programs in the UK focus mainly on practical aspects of acting than the theoretical side and they also allow candidates to collaborate with other prominent artists in the field as part of the program providing them with experience before they graduate.

Top Acting Schools in the UK

A few of the best acting schools in the UK and their details are as follows-

Institution	Location	Estimated Fee
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art	London	£22,000 per year
Guildhall School of Music and Drama	London	£23,000 per year
London Academy of Performing Arts	London	£19,000 per year
Oxford School of Drama	Oxford	£18,000 per year
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts	London	£18,000 per year
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama	Cardiff, Wales	£24,000 per year
Central School of Speech and Drama	London	£20,000 per year
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts	London	£12,000 per year

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

This drama school was established in the year 1904 and is located in Central London. The academy offers acting programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The most popular program offered here is the BA Honors in Acting where only 28 candidates are admitted every year. Other programs provided at the undergraduate level include FDA in Technical Theatre & Stage Management, BA in Technical Theatre and Stage Management, etc. Postgraduate programs include MA Theatre Lab, MA Text and Performance, PgDip in Theatre Costume, etc. They also offer short courses like Contemporary Drama Summer School, Stanislavski: Physical Action, etc.

Guildhall School of Music and Drama

This institution was established in the year 1880 and it offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in both classical music and theatre. It has a student population of around 1,000 with its campus located in London. The programs offered have been split into the fields of drama, music, and production arts and the institute also offers MPhil, DMus, and Ph.D. programs in different research areas. Short courses and programs offered by the institute include topics like Jazz and Rock Week, Music Production in Logic Pro, Prop Making, Stage Lighting, etc.

The school offers intensive acting training programs for different age groups along with a BA in Acting and a BA in Acting Studies program each of which has a duration of 3 years.

London Academy of Performing Arts

This academy was established in the year 1861 and is located in Hammersmith in London. It is one of the toughest acting academies to get admission to with candidates working hard for years to get into the audition list. The institute offers programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels along with short programs and courses with a limited number of seats. The acting programs offered include BA in Professional Acting, Semester Programs in Classical Acting, and a Performing Arts Foundation Diploma.

Postgraduate programs in the field of acting include an MFA in Professional Acting, MA in Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre, and MA in Directing. These programs have a duration of 1 to 2 years depending on the program.

Oxford School of Drama

This school of drama was established in the year 1986 and they offer foundation courses in the field of acting. They also offer 3-year and 1-year programs in the field of acting with both programs focusing on the practical side of acting than the theoretical side. Candidates will be able to work alongside well-acclaimed directors and they will also be working with internationally known writers in the final year of their study.

The foundational course they offer includes content for acting methods & techniques, movement, voice, animal studies, film & television, Stage combat, verse & poetry, etc.

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts

This academy is solely dedicated to the theatre arts and was established in the year 1945 and is located in South London. They offer foundation courses in acting along with undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the same field. The foundational programs they offer are musical theatre, acting, and acting for stage & screen performance. They have a popular BA in Performance Acting with a duration of 3 years and an MA in Performance Acting with a duration of 1 year.

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

This college was established in the year 1949 and is located in Wales. It has a student population of around 800 and it offers programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to all candidates. The college focuses on programs for Music, Jazz, Acting, Design for Performance, and Musical Theatre at an undergraduate level and at the postgraduate level, there are both Master’s programs and postgraduate diploma programs. The BA in Acting and MA in Acting for Stage, Screen & Radio are well-acclaimed programs in the institution.

Central School of Speech and Drama

This school was established in the year 1906 and it offers programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels along with the different short courses that are provided. Under the BA Acting Performance courses, one will be able to take up a BA in Acting, BA in CDT Acting, and BA in Acting-Musical Theatre depending on their interests. At the postgraduate level, one will be able to take MA in Classical Acting, MA in Contemporary Acting, MA in Acting for Screen, and even a MA/MFA in Actor Training and Coaching.

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

This academy was established in the year 1911 and is one of the most prominent theatre arts institutions in the country. There are programs for musical theatre, acting, and dance in this institution with acting having a 3-year BA program and a 1-year Certification course. Both these programs are offered in a full-time mode and the certificates the candidate will receive will be accredited by the University of East London.