Guildhall was named the best specialized school in any field in the United Kingdom for 2013 and 2014 by the Guardian University Guide. It has a strong reputation among the elite world drama programs. The school was founded as a music conservatory in 1880 and added drama to the curriculum in 1935. Its 800 students come from 60 countries around the world. Guildhall offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in acting. The school’s Milton Court opened in 2013 with a 608-seat concert hall, 223-seat theater, studio theater, three major rehearsal rooms and TV studio suite. Daniel Craig and Orlando Bloom are among Guildhall's alumni.
The Italia Conti Academy of Theater Arts was founded in 1911, and its students have been called to perform at such prestigious events as Queen Elizabeth's 40th Anniversary and Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebrations and the Millennium Service for Londoners at St. Paul's Cathedral. The school offers a three-year Bachelor of Arts in acting degree. The Italia Conti House lies in the heart of London’s theater district and includes 18 dance, acting and singing studios and lecture rooms; an art room; specialist class rooms; a video studio and editing suite; and an information technology suite. Noel Coward, Russell Brand and Leslie Phillips graduated from Italia Conti.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art offers a bachelor’s degree in acting. From 1905, when playwright George Bernard Shaw served on its managing council, the school has been well thought of among the elite. Peter O'Toole and Anthony Hopkins graduated from the academy. The acting program covers Stanislavsky-based rehearsal exercises, improvisation and projects on Greek tragedies, Shakespeare and the Jacobeans, Restoration comedy and contemporary dramas. The school values diversity and prides itself on its student body of all ethnicities, ages, religions and backgrounds. Applicants must be 18, fluent in English and willing to undergo a four-stage audition process.
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art offers a two-year foundational degree in acting, a bachelor’s degree in professional acting, and master’s degree for classical acting in the professional theater. Anyone with a passion for acting may audition; a second, longer audition may be required for entry into a program. A new campus was in the works as of publication in 2014 that was planned to include a 200-seat theater, 120-seat studio theater and soundproof TV suite. Founded in 1861, the London Academy bills itself as the oldest drama school in the United Kingdom. Donald Sutherland and John Lithgow are London Academy graduates.
Young actors studying at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts receive at least 30 hours of instruction per week with regular one-on-one sessions with tutors. Training includes specialized instruction for acting on television, in film or on the radio. The school offers foundational, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in acting and musical theater. Candidates must submit to an interview and audition; academic skills aren’t considered. An industry liaison will work with you in your final year at the school to help you prepare a resume, coach you for professional auditions and interviews, and network with theater agents and casting directors. Brendan Coyle and Denise Welch graduated from Mountview.
The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama offers bachelor’s degrees in acting and musical theater and master’s degrees in classical acting, contemporary acting and screen acting. Undergraduates have worked on international tours with Robert LePage, on numerous West End shows, and in Kosovo and Costa Rica theaters. Professional acting companies that inlcude Complicite, Blind Summit, the BBC, the Brodsky Quartet and the Royal Shakespeare Company have developed and rehearsed new work at the Royal Central School. Among its distinguished alumni are Laurence Olivier and Judi Dench.